Removing Barriers to Trust Building: Proposals to Rebuild Trust Between Governments and Communities

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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 this 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. This 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 proposes four priority actions:

• Improve access to government systems by simplifying language and processes.

• Invest in community capability through support, governance training, and equitable access.

• Equip government officials with training to build and maintain trust with communities.

• Establish a Trust Lab to lead innovation and embed trust-building across institutions.

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.

This Report builds on the 2024 Trust Flows Report.