MOST local governments say consultation remains strong despite public concerns about being left out of decision-making.

Across Perth’s eastern suburbs, councils acknowledge varying levels of engagement but insist participation is steady, with more residents interacting online than attending traditional town halls.

The City of Kalamunda reported that in 2024-25 its Engage Kalamunda platform hosted 11 major consultations, attracting 24,308 visitors, 2566 active contributors and 29,025 total visits.

Stand-out projects included the McDonald’s and car wash proposal on Canning Road, which drew 6928 visitors and more than 1200 submissions, and a bushfire preparedness survey that jumped from single-digit participation in 2023-24 to 211 responses.

“Participation success is achieved through a combination of digital, print and direct marketing; community pop-ups and workshops; and incentives such as local prize draws,” a city spokesperson said.

City of Kalamunda Mayor Margaret Thomas said the community’s interest was steady and growing.

“It’s about building confidence in how decisions are made,” she said.

“We’ve modernised our approach by combining traditional workshops with digital tools, social media outreach and incentives.”

The City of Swan said it runs hundreds of consultations each year, generating thousands of responses.

City of Swan chief executive officer Stephen Cain said the city’s 14-week consultation for its Strategic Community Plan engaged 3415 people from a population of about 110,000.

He noted some feedback such as for the Tourism Plan 2025-30 came through peak bodies representing many members collectively.

“Consultations are designed to reflect the wishes of our residential and business communities towards a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive future,” Mr Cain said.

The Shire of Northam said participation levels remained “lower than anticipated” despite new strategies.

A streetscape design survey for the Northam CBD attracted 63 responses, while an All Abilities Playspace project drew 72.

“There have been no noticeable trends, though contentious issues such as extractive industries tend to generate greater interest,” a shire spokesperson said.

They said that consultation fatigue was a growing concern, with the shire now using videos, social media, e-newsletters and engagement plans to boost participation.

A Shire of Mundaring spokesperson said community consultation is a cornerstone of how the shire operates and projects are guided by the belief resident input makes the strongest decisions.

The Bushfire Community Day held in October 2025 drew over 2,500 attendees who engaged with hands-on demonstrations, interactive exhibits and volunteer-led activities.

“While this represents a portion of the Shire’s 38,000 residents, it reflects an observable pattern that community engagement in preparedness tends to rise following major fire events, when the perceived relevance of risk is heightened,” the spokesperson said.

“This event showed that practical, family-friendly experiences, particularly those involving local volunteers, can effectively build awareness and encourage proactive preparedness.

The Shire of Mundaring reported using a range of consultation techniques, from targeted engagement with affected groups to broader community-wide consultation.

Methods can include online surveys, workshops, pop-up events, printed materials, social media campaigns and direct contact through community networks.

The spokesperson said one of the strongest resident responses was to the development of the Shire of Mundaring’s council plan 2024 to 2034.

“More than 3000 responses were received through an extensive community engagement campaign,” they said.

From a historical perspective, the spokesperson said participation levels remained steady over time, although the ways people engage was changing.

“The shire has seen an increase in digital engagement through online surveys and social media, balanced with continued demand for in-person sessions, particularly in the hills and rural areas,” they said.

“The shire acknowledges that engagement is an area we are continually working to strengthen.

“While many consultations receive strong participation, others attract more limited involvement through the nature of legislative requirements.

“We understand this can lead to frustration when people feel they haven’t been heard.

“Some engagement processes, particularly around statutory planning matters, are guided by legislative frameworks that determine consultation requirements.

“Even so, the shire is listening to community feedback and actively exploring ways to improve how we communicate, engage and close the loop with residents on planning and other major projects, whilst balancing strict timeframes set out under state planning obligations.”

The spokesperson said councillors also played an important role in consultation.

“They regularly attend community meetings, group gatherings and local events, which provide valuable touchpoints for listening to community views and receiving feedback directly from the people they represent.”

Shire of Mundaring President Paige McNeil said the community played a vital role and every completed survey, workshop or shared thought helped guide council descisions on community outcomes.

“We’re grateful to everyone who takes the time to get involved, it’s through this collective effort that we can continue to build a vibrant, connected and sustainable community,” she said.

Councils in the eastern corridor acknowledged participation could improve but said the nature of engagement was evolving rather than declining and shifting from meeting halls to mobile screens and community pop-ups and remained important as ever.