About Connect With Us
Welcome to the new innovative Online Consultation and Engagement Portal, Stonnington - Connect With Us. 
The portal has been custom built to enable online engagement and community participation in decision-making through interactive forum conversations, surveys and polls.
The portal provides information, news and email alerts on opportunities for community involvement in events and activities, and provides reports on recent consultation outcomes. It also links to Stonnington's Planning Register, social media pages (Facebook and Twitter) as well as multimedia (audio and video presentations). A blog on specific topics will be introduced over the coming months.
The consultation portal is used as part of a broader community consultation framework, alongside a range of other consultation options, such as meetings, focus groups, surveys, information sessions, and the Stonnington Survey Group- a collection of more than 400 Stonnington households that take part in surveys quarterly each year. Stonnington promotes opportunities for consultation through the website, direct mail and surveys to households, email (by subscription), advertising in the Stonnington Leader newspaper and through the Stonnington Survey Group.
See the current list of topics for consultation below, click on the links to find out more about each topic and when/how you can have your say.
How to Use the Portal – Understanding the Features
SECTION 1.
The ‘Have Your Say On...’ feature box at the top of the portal provides a summary of the consultation topics that are current. It includes timelines, links to relevant pages and material, and outlining the options (consultation tools available) to have a say. Three ‘windows’ or topics appear on screen and you will notice that they rotate, so that other topics appear. You can scroll across to see all of the topics using the arrows at the left and right hand sides of the feature box. Click on the windows/topics of your choice to find out more information.
SECTION 2. TABS
Forum – this is an interactive discussion forum and the topics that you can comment on appear in the window. To use this, you need to‘Register/Login’and need to agree to ‘Terms of Use’ to participate in the discussion. The links at the bottom of this section provide more information, forms for you to fill in, and they outline the Terms of Use so you can get started. Any discussion or responses need to address the topics that are outlined and must comply with the Terms of Use. Responses are moderated before going live/being posted into the discussion, to ensure the information being posted is related to the topic and does not contain any offensive material or ‘spam’.
Surveys are structured forms on specific topics that people can fill in and send online.
Multimedia contains videos and audio files, podcasts and MP3 files, that can be viewed or listened to on various topics.
SECTION 3. CONNECT TO
Facebook (Events Site) – by joining the Stonnington events Facebook page, you can find out about and participate in events and activities of interest. People join this page can contribute to online discussions about topics.
Twitter (Events Site)- by joining the Stonnington events Twitter page, you will receive information about upcoming events and activities.
RSS (Newsfeed Updates) –provides an opportunity for people to subscribe to receive information on their topic of choice via a news feed.
SECTION 4.
The Poll is an interactive tool that is updated immediately with your response – you can answer the question that appears in the box by making a selection (checking the circle) from the options available. The question for each poll is based on a single topic. You are able to view all previous polls by clicking on ‘More polls’.
OTHER SECTIONS
Feedback Forms are unstructured emails that people can type into. Type in your feedback and an email is sent to Council.
News Updates(RSS) – provide an opportunity for people to subscribe to receive information on their topic of choice.
What You Said provides information and reports on recent consultation items.
Planning provides a link to the interactive planning register when you can search current planning applications and read about planning.
Stonnington Survey Group provides information about the Group and provides an opportunity for you to get involved,
Directories provides a list of online directories that you can search to connect with other people, groups, businesses and activities in your community.
Current and Future Items For Community Consultation – Have Your Say On...
- Chadstone Amendment C157 – on consultation now until 29 February 2012
- 590 Orrong Road– awaiting Minister’s decision regarding exhibition of an Amendment to the Planning Scheme.
- Local Business in Stonnington– on consultation now until 29 February 2012
- Events - coming up in March 2012
- Sustainable Transport – coming up in March 2012
- Libraries - coming up in April 2012