Why most SIAs fail the locality test: how to map people not just numbers

Written By Bronagh Brbich

Let’s talk about one of the most underrated (and often misunderstood) elements of the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s Social Impact Assessment (SIA) Guidelines: the social locality.

While it may sound like one of those items you check off your project task list while secretly wondering if anyone will ever read it, getting your social locality right will not only help you deliver a successful SIA, it will also be a powerful communication tool for your project team. Yet, it’s often one of the first things to get oversimplified.

If you’re a developer, government agency or town planner, you likely know the basics: you’ve got a project, it’s going to impact a community, and you need to figure out who will experience those impacts the most and how. Simple, right? Run some numbers, overlay ABS data on a map, draw a red circle around the site and call it a day.

Well... not quite.

Here, we explore what makes the social locality not just another step in the process, but the step that informs every other part of your SIA and project. Here's why the social locality matters, why it’s often misunderstood and how we approach it differently to ensure your project succeeds.

Social locality mapping is about understanding where the social impacts of your project will most likely be felt, who will experience those impacts, and how.

What is a project’s social locality?

Think of the social locality as your project’s ‘social footprint’. It’s not defined by arbitrary boundaries like suburbs, LGAs or a 500m radius around your site. It’s the area, and the people within it, most likely to experience the social impacts of your project.

Project’s social locality – diverse example (Source: DPE SIA Guidelines)

The extent of the social locality will depend on the type of project, the nature of its environmental and economic impacts and how people are likely to experience those impacts.

It’s more than a geographic boundary. It’s about how people live, work and connect in the spaces affected by your project.

 

Why the social locality matters

Your project’s social locality is both your biggest risk and your greatest opportunity. It tells you who is in the ‘blast zone’ of your project, how they’re likely to respond and what you can do to manage it.

Done well, the social locality sets the stage for proactive and effective engagement, smarter adjustments and mitigations, and better project outcomes.

 

A well-defined social locality:

  • Maps the scale (intensity) and spread (distribution) of both positive and negative impacts
  • Identifies who will be most affected by your project (and how)
  • Pinpoints risks early.
  • Lays the groundwork for meaningful, targeted engagement.

How to map the social locality of your project

Mapping your social locality isn’t rocket science, but it does require effort. Here’s five ways to make sure your social locality is accurate and adds value to your project.

1. Define your boundaries (but don’t get boxed in)

Impacts aren't experienced in neat circles. Communities don’t live in silos, and your analysis shouldn’t either.

  • Physical boundaries: Start with the basics. Where are the direct impacts most likely to occur?
  • Functional boundaries: How do people move through, use and experience the area? Who is commuting, shopping or working there? How do transport routes interact with your project? What about businesses that rely on local foot traffic? Are you ‘offsetting’ impacts in a different location?
  • Temporal boundaries: Impacts evolve over time and are unlikely to ‘hit all at once’. Construction and operation phases often affect different groups in distinct ways.
💡

Pro tip: Don’t rely solely on government boundaries or land use zones. Focus on how people’s lives intersect with your project (not arbitrary lines on a map).

2. Move beyond census data

Census data is a good starting point for building a community profile. But it generally only tells you who’s there, not what they care about.

Use secondary data to:

  • Inform your knowledge of the history of the project and the area: Are there any similar experiences people in the locality have had? Have they experienced change before or because of the project already? How did people react to early discussions; how has this affected the broader community; and the traditional Aboriginal use of the place, recent history of the place and people, and any ongoing traumas?
  • Understand existing social conditions: Is there a level of disadvantage? Are there portions of the community that might be vulnerable? Is perceived safety likely to be a concern?

Collect primary data to get the real story about who may be impacted, and how those impacts may be experienced differently:

  • Surveys, interviews, and community workshops: These are gold mines of local knowledge. This is where you find out how people actually live, work, and engage with their surroundings. For instance, if you’re building near a school, maybe talk to the P&C/school board (parents). What’s their biggest concern? Traffic? Safety? Or maybe the loss of a popular community meeting spot?
💡

Pro tip: Tap into existing social networks. Community leaders, local business owners and even social media groups can give you insights that official stats miss.

Using different data sources for your SIA

Layer your data to understand your social locality.

  • Use quantitative data to establish a baseline.

    • Demographic data: age distribution, income levels, employment, family structure (sources like ABS, SEIFA index of socio-economic disadvantage; BOCSAR crime statistics).

    • Education and employment data: student enrolment, capacity and location data for schools

    • Transport data: travel time data and transport modelling; how do people move through the area? What are the main routes for cars, public transport, cyclists, and pedestrians?

  • Add depth with qualitative insights.

    • Community feedback: what are the locals already saying? Look at previous community consultation, submissions, social media discussions, and complaints to council.

    • Local knowledge: interview key community leaders, business owners, and residents. They will give you insights that datasets won’t, like hidden hotspots for community interaction or unspoken tensions.

    • Cultural context: Are there unique historical or cultural factors at play? Are there particular cultural groups with specific needs or sensitivities?

    • Local information from council strategic plans, policies, strategies for the area and surroundings, networks and local experiences. What’s currently happening in the space and what are people saying about it?

💡

Pro tip: ‘Ground-truthing’ is an extension of quantitative data, not a substitute. Generally, you will need both to create an accurate picture.

Right people, right information, right questions

Nobody wants to be that company, known for over-consulting and creating consultation fatigue through poorly managed engagement that doesn’t acknowledge people’s time or energy. Go where the people already are (don't reinvent the wheel). Community events, local businesses, even the coffee shops. Build connections within the community to access hard-to-reach information.

You want the inside scoop on the things that really matter to them so you can understand and assess the impacts of your project. Not just what’s written on their feedback form, but the subtext - the “why” behind the “what”.

Stakeholder engagement is easier with the right approach. Read our 5 insights for successful stakeholder engagement to discover how to create an engagement plan that builds trust and delivers on project outcomes.

3. Map relationships, not just locations

Want to know what separates the good from the great: understanding social networks. You’re not just plotting households or data points. You’re mapping relationships and connections within the community. This is what is meant by ‘social fabric’.

Look for:

  • Community hubs: Schools, cultural facilities, religious centres, sports clubs, and local shops. These are places where people gather, share information, and form the networks that keep the community connected. How does your project fit into (or disrupt) these networks?
  • Key influencers: It’s not always the people with official titles who hold the power. There are often informal leaders in communities. Those who are trusted and listened to. Knowing who they are can either help or hinder your efforts.

These networks can amplify both support and resistance to your project. Understanding them helps you predict how impacts will spread.

4. Interpret your findings - what does it all mean?

Data is only useful if you understand what it’s telling you. Use your findings to anticipate the social impacts - both positive and negative.

  • Direct impacts: These are the most obvious or ’straightforward’ (increased traffic, construction noise, loss of business). Quantify these in real terms. How many people are affected? To what degree? What percentage of the population does this represent? Will they directly experience one (increased traffic) or many (increased traffic AND construction noise AND loss of business)?
  • Indirect impacts: How will these changes ripple out? For instance, how does a change in transport routes disrupt access to local services, making it harder for low-income residents to commute or access health services?
  • Cumulative impacts (the ‘long game’): What happens when your project adds to pre-existing challenges in the area? If there’s already tension over access or surrounding amenity, your project might be the tipping point.
💡

Pro tip: Always ask: Who bears the brunt of these impacts? Is it low-income households? Elderly residents? Young professionals? Your mitigation measures should reflect these nuances.

5. Test your assumptions

Validating your findings through early engagement can uncover impacts or issues you might have missed. Take the data you have gathered and test it against what the community is telling you.

Does your quantitative and qualitative data tell the same story, or is it different? Have you missed anything? Are there unforeseen or unintended consequences you haven’t factored in?

It’s about doing better, not doing more

Your social locality map isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a strategic tool which informs your scoping, engagement, assessment and evaluation of the social impacts of your project, and your development of responses to avoid, minimise or reduce negative impacts and enhance positive impacts.

When you know which groups are likely to be the most impacted, you can focus your engagement and communication (avoiding consultation fatigue), address concerns before they escalate avoiding rising tensions, and develop mitigation measures that address real concerns.

A well-defined social locality saves time and money. It’s a great communication tool for project teams. It gives you the power to identify and anticipate issues, reducing project risks and costs related to unplanned or reactive management of impacts. It helps you build trust and ultimately, deliver a project that works for everyone, not just the stakeholders with the loudest voice.

How we can help

At Briar, we specialise in turning data into practical insights that build trust with communities for successful project outcomes.

We help our clients:

  • Define and map the right social locality for their project.
  • Combine data analysis with practical insights to predict and evaluate impacts.
  • Design and execute targeted engagement strategies.
  • Build trust with communities through focused, meaningful engagement.
  • Avoid delays and manage risks effectively.

Need help getting your social locality right from the start, saving you time and money? We’d love to help you set your project up for success and make sure it’s remembered, for all the right reasons.

Get in touch to find out how Briar can help you make the most of your Social Impact Assessment.

Bronagh Brbich
Next

The 6 myths sabotaging your project and how to fix them