Removing Barriers to Trust Building
Removing barriers to trust building: Proposals to rebuild trust between governments and communities
Trust is the glue that holds society together. The decline of trust in government and the institutions of civil society is one of the gravest issues facing Australia today. The decline of trust in civil society is linked to the rise of a widespread sense of grievance. One reason that this is so serious is that a feeling of grievance is one of the things that fuels extremism.
Governments cannot ignore this crisis. However, there are some actions they can take.
As our report shows, trust is built—or broken—through behaviour. To meet today’s challenges, we need practical, sustained efforts to embed trust building across government-community relationships. The report extends on findings from the 2024 Trust Flows project report. The findings from this study offer grounded, actionable strategies for rebuilding trust between governments and communities, recognising that trust is shaped not only by policy but by processes, consistent behaviours, reciprocity, and sustained relationships.
This Report builds on the 2024 Trust Flows Report.
Practical approaches to rebuilding trust
Our proposals include four key strategies to support trust building between government and communities.
These actions are preventative, not reactive. Clearly, there are some external factors, such as international malevolent actors, that seek to undermine Australian society. However, governments in Australia should look to increase investments in social cohesion and institutional legitimacy at a time when both are under pressure.
The four approaches to rebuilding trust are:
Invest in social capital and capability building for communities
Support community-led initiatives and local networks to strengthen resilience and collaboration.
Reduce procedural burdens on communities
Recognise and address the disproportionate administrative load (“red tape”) that can limit community agency and effective participation.
Establish a dedicated “Trust Lab”
Create a long-term, collaborative hub to generate evidence, test initiatives, and support sustainable trust-building between governments and the communities they serve.
Equip public servants with trust-building skills
Develop targeted training and guidance for government officials to foster practices that build, maintain, and repair trust across diverse communities.