In recent reforms to energy policy, the Australian Government prioritised the development of additional gas resources to meet Australia’s current and future demand, including tight and shale gas resources. It is well-established there is a need to respond transparently to community interests and concerns about the potential social and environmental impacts of unconventional gas development, which has been contentious in Australia and around the world. In this context, there is a commitment within the Australian Government’s existing $30.4 million Geological and Bioregional Assessment (GBA) program to not only provide independent scientific advice to governments and regulators, landowners, communities, businesses and industries about the potential environmental impacts of developing these resources but to host a long-term dialogue with key stakeholders in three major basins across the country to fully consider the lived impacts of such developments in the landscape. These dialogues engage with key stakeholders and communities about their views and expectations of gas development within their own regions through formal biannual meetings hosted in the three basins across Australia. These forums reflect a deliberate commitment to incorporate targeted stakeholder engagement over the life of the GBA program, improve community understanding of potential tight and shale gas industries, and provide decision-makers with access to an understanding of the needs and expectations of stakeholders and communities that can be considered alongside the scientific and environmental impact assessments. The effectiveness and performance of this engagement is assessed through a formal monitoring and evaluation program that aligns data collection with the intended outcomes of building legitimacy and trust, governing risk, and enabling transparency in the program. This approach also assesses opportunities for learning across the three engagement processes underway in different geographies within Australia to identify implications for designing early stage engagement processes on issues of national importance. This presentation highlights the role of community and public engagement processes in getting new gas resources into Australian markets.