Over $20 billion worth of Australian infrastructure projects over the last decade were cancelled, delayed or mothballed due to community backlash. With another $100 billion in projects underway across the country, policymakers and industry leaders can’t afford to get the community offside.On this week’s podcast, host Nicky Lovegrove chats with Sara Bice and Kirsty O’Connell from the Next Generation Engagement Program – a globally unique research initiative aiming to transform the way the infrastructure sector understands and values community engagement.Topics discussed include why there seems to be more community resistance to infrastructure projects now than in the past, whether community engagement should be regulated by government, and why academics should start ‘co-designing’ their research questions with industry.Kirsty O'Connell is Industry Director for the Next Generation Engagement Program – a globally unique research program hosted by the Australian National University that aims to transform the way the infrastructure sector understands and values engagement.Dr Sara Bice is a Senior Research Fellow at Crawford School of Public Policy, and leads the Next Generation Engagement Program based at the school.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:Next Generation Engagement Program – Australia’s largest study on engagement and infrastructure deliverySpeak softly and carry economic gifts, by Stephen NagyDrug response out of tune, by John CoynePodcast: Power to the people? with Duncan McDonnell, Jill Sheppard and Paul KennyPolicy Forum Pod is available on iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook.This episode of Policy Forum Pod was edited by Edwina Landale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.