Lies, damn lies and statistics – and consultation

According to the Mediate Today Report on the RWA’s BEP2, the vast majority of respondents (37 per cent) simply answered “OK” to this statement of fact. Another 18 per cent said they liked 4-12 storeys, and 17 per cent made no comment. In the analysis, what is potentially just people’s agreement with the statement of fact in the question is reported as showing overwhelming support for the RWA 4-12 storey proposal.

More worryingly, the report says that this question established a set of categories for analysing the responses “based on RWA and Housing NSW’s need to understand stakeholders’ specific height preferences”. If this was the aim surely it only needed to be a multiple-choice answer. Height is only one part of the equation. The question omitted anything about density. As all the examples in Question 4 propose the same number of units, taller buildings would result in more open space!

Source: October 2011 South Sydney Herald http://www.southsydneyherald.com.au/