Fairfield Community Workshops: Insights for LGA transformation
Image courtesy of the MiAccess image library.
Client:
Centre for Western Sydney
Project:
Fairfield Community Workshops
Industry/sector:
Business
Date of execution:
December 2023
Services:
Community engagement
At a glance
The Centre for Western Sydney at Western Sydney University engaged Cultural Perspectives to facilitate targeted consultation activities across the Fairfield Local Government Area (LGA). The aim was to gather community-led insights that would inform future development in the region and support a broader research initiative focused on improving access to higher education for Western Sydney residents.
Through four tailored engagement sessions consisting of a community workshop, a business roundtable, and two in-language consultations, Cultural Perspectives engaged with diverse community voices to uncover needs, expectations and aspirations for Fairfield’s transformation.
Subject matter
Community consultation, multicultural engagement, LGA transformation and access to education.
Demonstrated expertise
Stakeholder engagement, consultation planning, workshop and roundtable facilitation, multilingual engagement and insights reporting.
Project description
Objectives
To identify priority initiatives and community expectations for the transformation of the Fairfield LGA, supporting Western Sydney University’s broader research into education access and civic development.
What Cultural Perspectives delivered
A detailed insights report summarising feedback across four engagement cohorts
Findings that informed strategic recommendations on how government, industry and tertiary education providers could better serve the Fairfield community
Input to support the future development of a community hub as part of the LGA transformation strategy.
Key activities
Cultural Perspectives designed and facilitated four consultation sessions with tailored focus and methodology:
General community workshop (20 participants) - Gathered input on daily lived experiences, community strengths and visions for change
Business and industry roundtable (11 participants) - Engaged key local stakeholders on economic growth and infrastructure priorities
Arabic-speaking resident consultation (20 participants) - Explored CALD-specific barriers, local pride and priority areas for development
Vietnamese-speaking resident consultation (19 participants) - Facilitated in-language dialogue on cultural needs, service access and aspirations.
Each session encouraged open discussion, local ownership and inclusive contribution, enabling diverse representation in the final insights.
Key outcomes
The resulting insights report identified five core thematic areas:
Most liked features of Fairfield – Including multicultural vibrancy and access to local services
Improvements required – Such as better infrastructure, safer housing and employment opportunities
Community strengths – Including civic pride, diversity and resilience
Prioritised improvements – Infrastructure upgrades, more employment programs and community hubs
Shared responsibility – A clear call for government and community collaboration to lead Fairfield’s transformation.
Cultural Perspectives’ approach ensured CALD voices were heard, documented and meaningfully represented to provide the Centre for Western Sydney with community-aligned insights to shape its future plans.
IAP2 spectrum of public participation
Above: The Fairfield Community Workshop fell within the consult phase of the IAP2 spectrum of public participation.
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