It is now accepted practice and is required by legislation, for the public to be involved in some way in the basic decision-making process, and project proponents need to respond accordingly. Some aspects of every project will be criticised by many and strongly opposed by a few. The objections are frequently based upon environmental grounds and are often very well researched. Objections also arise out of perceptions which may or may not be well founded. Involvement of the public from an early stage is desirable, and a well-considered approach is needed. The essential aspect of public involvement is that public debate should be initiated before a commitment is made to the project, so that it is transparently evident to all that their comments have the potential, and are in time, to influence the course and outcome of the project.

Information on the project must be intelligible to the public. Thus, the language and format need careful attention.

Who is the Public?

The public comprises at least five groups:

• Experts within the community, and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) such as the Royal Society, the Royal New Zealand Forest and Bird Protection Society, Greenpeace, the Maruia Society, universities and polytechnic institutions.
• Local Authorities, Community Boards.
• The local tangata whenua.
• Societies, residentsí associations, cultural groups and individual citizens interested in or affected by the project.
• The community at large.

The benefits of public involvement include the following:

• Accurate public understanding of the nature, scale and objectives of the project, leading to more community support
• New and possibly relevant, useful information - especially local knowledge
• Useful contribution to the assessment of what emphasis should be accorded to potential project benefits and losses

How To Involve the Public

A well-constructed programme appropriate to the nature and importance of the project will enable the dialogue to be carried out in an informed and constructive climate. It could be appropriate to ask the different groups in a community how they want to be involved. There are different ways of involving the public, some of which are:

• Running workshops to provide a forum for wide public representation, and open debate.
• Forming a representative liaison committee.
• Holding regular meetings with representative groups and stakeholders.
• Producing information pamphlets, models, video presentations.
• Opening a local information office.
• Providing 'feedback' to the public on how useful their information or other comments have been.
• Meeting with individual citizens.

If these guidelines are followed, it is probable that the project will receive and retain public support, thereby easing the way through the resource consents and approvals process. However, this may not always be so, in which case the public involvement will have, at least, facilitated forward planning and forewarning of likely contentious issues that will arise at the appropriate legislative stages.

• In the commissioning phase, involve the public by maintaining a public relations programme.
• Releasing commissioning information on work plans that could impact on the environment external to the site.
• Ensuring that utilities and emergency services are aware of commissioning activities where possible support may be required, and agree and resource emergency plans.

When commissioning is complete, ensure that the public, utilities and emergency services are aware of the environmental controls and emergency plans that could impact on the environment, inside and outside of the plant/facility.

Accept the principle of stewardship over the environment and non-renewable resources, embedded in the Resource Management Act and Agenda 21. Transparently apply that principle to everyday plant/facility operations and the 'footprints' that these operations leave external to the site.

It is also important to have a policy and commitment to involve the community on sustainability of the environment and non-renewable resources to the benefit of all, and to maintain a public relations programme.

Involve the public at every stage of plant/facility de-commissioning, site reinstatement, and any on-going environmental management operations, so that there is common understanding of the effects, responsibilities and liabilities.