Campaign:
In September 2009, the Victorian Government announced Port Phillip Housing Association (PPHA) as the successful housing association to deliver the Ashwood Chadstone Gateway Project (ACGP). ACGP will deliver over 170 social housing units as well as 70 private homes utilising six vacant sites in the Ashwood Chadstone area. Socom was engaged by PPHA to provide communications and consultation support. The challenge was to develop a program of activities to raise stakeholder awareness and positive perception about the project, housing associations as a delivery model and PPHA.

Our Approach:
Socom designed and implemented a consultation strategy that was inclusive of the broad range of stakeholders and their diverse needs. The approach was based on:

- Communications in plain language which were timely and relevant to the particular audience;

- Going out to stakeholders, if necessary providing translators during consultation and translating communications materials;

- Demonstrating how the project was delivering outcomes for the whole community; and

- Establishing a clear, distinguishable identity for the project

Results:
Over the course of the four month consultation program from November 2009 to February 2010, Socom facilitated a broad range of consultation activities for PPHA including media relations for the project’s launch, face-to-face meetings with key stakeholders, knocking on nearly 250 doors in the local community, posting letters to an additional 322 residents and local businesses, distributing 4,000 information sheets and holding two open community information sessions.

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