New to Participate Parramatta?

On this platform, community engagement refers to public participation in decision‑making. It involves Council inviting people who live, work, study or visit the area to share their views on projects before decisions are made.

Community engagement is about listening to different voices, understanding concerns from a wide range of groups in the community, and working together to reach decisions that aim for the best and most balanced outcomes for the whole community.

Both are official Council websites, but they serve different purposes.

Participate Parramatta is where the community can learn about new or proposed projects and share feedback to help shape future decisions. It focuses on things that have not yet happened, such as plans, upgrades or policy ideas. Community input gathered here (and through other engagement activities) helps inform Council decisions. Projects may change, proceed differently, or not go ahead based on feedback gathered during the engagement period.

Participate Parramatta is not used for day‑to‑day service requests.
 

The City of Parramatta Council website is Council’s main information and services site. It is used for accessing information about existing services and business‑as‑usual matters, such as waste collection bookings, reporting potholes, parking enquiries, development applications (DAs), upcoming events and general Council information.

If you need to request a service or report an issue - such as booking a clean-up service or reporting a damaged park bench - you should use the Council’s main website.
 

On the home page, browse the projects listed under Engagement Open and select one that interests you. Click on the project to learn more and consider whether you support it, as well as any concerns you may have if it goes ahead.

For most projects, we offer a survey or online submission form. From time to time, we will also offer other ways to have your say, such as via an interactive map.

To have your say via a survey or online submission form, scroll down to the Online feedback/submission form section and click ‘Click here to start’.

You’ll be guided through a short survey/submission form about the project and a few questions about yourself. This helps Council better understand who we are receiving feedback from as we want to ensure that different groups and community views are represented in decision‑making. Please note that all participants must provide their name and contact details before making a submission or completing a survey. This ensures survey responses and submissions are valid and allows us to notify you of the decision once it is made.

Only one survey response or submission per person or email address is accepted. If you need to add further information after you have submitted your response or have changed your mind about your selections, please email participate@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au to alert us.

If you provide feedback on a project through Participate Parramatta, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement once an online survey or submission is completed.

After the engagement period closes, all feedback is reviewed by Council staff in the relevant service area to understand community views and concerns. This feedback is considered alongside other factors - such as legislation, environmental impacts and cost - to inform a recommendation to Council or delegated management for decision‑making.

Once a decision is made, the outcome will be shared with you by email and published on the project page. Please note that this process can take several months, as matters are scheduled for consideration through Council and may also require approval from other government bodies.

Council takes community feedback seriously, and community voices play an important role in decision‑making. Our vision is to facilitate meaningful and inclusive opportunities for community feedback and advocate for evidence-based decisions within Council.

Your feedback may:

• Improve or refine a proposal
• Identify issues Council has not considered
• Help balance different community needs
• Assist Councl to make a decision on a proposal 

Some examples of recent projects influenced by feedback gathered via community engagement: 

• Trott Street, North Parramatta one‑way traffic proposal did not proceed due to strong community opposition.
• Newington, one one‑way traffic proposal did not go ahead following community opposition, while other parking restriction measures proceeded where there was community support.
• Food Organic Garden Organic recycling service introduction - the final bin collection frequency and bin size were strongly influenced by community feedback, which highlighted that collection frequency was the most important factor for our community.

At times, a decision may not fully align with your views, however community engagement helps Council clearly understand key concerns, which are noted and addressed where possible. This supports more informed decisions and a balanced approach over time. Not all feedback can be adopted, but every comment is read and considered.

If a project is not listed under the Engagement open section, it means the feedback period has closed. The project has moved to the next stage, and it is unlikely that new feedback can be considered as part of the decision‑making process. You are still welcome to contact Council and provide your feedback or you can read about the project and stay informed about future updates or any further consultation by clicking Follow Project on the project page. 
 

 
To make sure you don’t miss future opportunities to have your say, we recommend subscribing to our newsletter by signing up to Participate Parramatta. You’ll receive a fortnightly update with all open projects across the Parramatta Local Government Area, helping you stay informed and involved in decisions that matter to you.

Opportunities for the community to have their say (community engagement period) need to take place before a key decision is made. Projects reach this stage at different times. Some projects, such as strategies, are reviewed every few years, so feedback is only invited during those review periods. Other projects, like local playground upgrades, may only seek community input once every 20 years due to their long lifespan. Projects such as traffic changes may occur more often, depending on community requests and changing traffic conditions. Sometimes, engagement may occur at more than one stage of a project.

To stay updated on open projects, we recommend signing up to the Participate Parramatta newsletter or visiting the Participate Parramatta webpage regularly.

Most projects’ engagement period is open for 14 to 28 days. The closing date is shown on each project page. To be considered, your feedback must be submitted before the closing date.
 

After the engagement period ends, the project moves to the next stage, where a decision is made based on the feedback received during that period.

Anyone can take part - residents, workers, business owners, students, and visitors. You do not need to be a resident of this Council area to have a say. If you are under the age of 16, parental permission needs to be obtained before you can take part. Only one submission per person or email address will be accepted.

While online surveys and submission forms via Participate Parramatta is the most preferred option to receive project feedback, we recognise that people have different needs and access requirements. 

Here are some other ways you can provide feedback on projects that are open for feedback. 

• Email council@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au with the project subject line specified on the project page.
• Send in hardcopy mail to Council at PO Box 32, Parramatta NSW 2124 with the project subject line specified on the project page, and ensure you clearly state your full name, contact details and address.
• Submit a verbal response (please note that the verbal submission option is offered for those that cannot provide or may find it difficult to provide a written submission).
• For some projects, there will also be in-person opportunities or one-on-one opportunities to speak with staff members. Those details will be published on the project page during the engagement period.

In your response, please indicate whether you support or object to the project, and provide any comments you would like Council to consider.

Feedback or submissions should relate to the project currently on public exhibition. Your response does not need to be technical or detailed, and you do not need to be a specialist to have your say. General comments, lived experiences, and community perspectives are welcome.

Signing-up to Participate Parramatta keeps all your feedback in one place. You’ll be able to easily view and track the projects you’ve contributed to, save time with pre‑filled forms when you log in, and receive our fortnightly newsletter to stay up to date with the latest projects open for feedback. Click here to register.

Participate Parramatta is equipped with an automatic translation function - simply go to the 'Your Language' widget on the top right-hand corner and select the relevant language. You can also use the free telephone translation service by calling 131 450. 

Participate Parramatta is a platform for projects managed by City of Parramatta Council, where decisions are made by Council or its delegated staff. Many major infrastructure projects - such as the light rail or metro - are outside the scope of local government and are typically planned and delivered by the NSW Government or other agencies.

Because of this, those projects are consulted on through separate “Have Your Say” websites managed by the relevant organisation, rather than through Participate Parramatta.
 

For state‑managed projects, policies and major infrastructure that may affect the Parramatta local government area, please visit Have your say | NSW Government

Participate Parramatta is designed to collect community feedback on projects at key stages where public input is needed to inform Council decisions (these are listed under the Engagement open section).

If your issue is not related to a project that is currently open for engagement, the best option is to email your concern to council@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au or contact your local Councillor using the details provided on Council’s website.