Managing Outrage and Building Trust: Effective Communication for Controversial Projects with Kelly Parkinson (Lighthouse Series)

emPOWER: supporting Regional Engagement during the Energy Transition

In many regional Australian communities, the energy transition feels like something happening to them, not with them. When large-scale changes unfold rapidly, it creates a complex environment for engagement and communication.

In this episode, Wendy Agar sits down with internationally recognized risk communication specialist Kelly Parkinson to explore the fundamentals of risk communication and why it’s such a critical skill for those working on the ground during the energy transition. Together, they discuss:

• The first law of risk communication
• How to build and maintain trust in uncertain times
• Common triggers for community outrage
• Key strategies for avoiding and de-escalating outrage

Kelly provides practical insights and techniques to help listeners engage more effectively with regional communities, offering tools to manage heightened emotions and navigate difficult conversations. If you're engaging with individuals or communities around renewable energy development, this episode offers valuable takeaways to build trust and manage risk with confidence.

This podcast is an initiative of Engaged Outcomes - a training, facilitation and engagement organisation, dedicated to building capacity, empowering people and driving lasting change for regional communities across Australia.

EmPOWER is proudly supported by The Energy Charter, a CEO collaboration across the energy sector nationally, delivering better outcomes for customers and communities in the energy transition.

Produced by The Podcast Boss