Indigo Shire Council today welcomed the results of the annual Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey.
The survey is conducted across the whole state by the Victorian Government for Local Government Councils each year in February and March.
Indigo Shire Council received an overall performance score of 61, which is consistent with last year's survey results, higher than the state-wide average (60) and significantly higher than the average rating for councils in the small rural group (58).
Of the core measures rated in the survey Indigo Shire Council received the following ratings:
- Community Consultation increased one point to 60
- Advocacy and Overall Council Direction remained consistent at 56 and 53 respectively
- Making Community Decisions increased two points to 58
- Sealed Local Roads was significantly higher at 60, a four-point increase on last year's survey
- Customer Service was down three points on the previous year, with a score of 68
Indigo Shire Mayor, Councillor Bernard Gaffney, said that the Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey provides valuable insights into how Council is serving the local community and areas for improvement.
"To be rated higher than the state-wide average and significantly higher than the average rating for councils in the small rural group is an excellent result – it means we are really punching above our weight," Cr Gaffney said.
"Indigo Shire also scored significantly higher than the state-wide average in the areas of consultation and engagement, making community decisions and sealed local roads – which is quite remarkable for a small rural council with a limited operating budget.
"Of course, there is always more work to be done. We note the drop in our customer service rating and we'll be looking at ways to improve this in the year ahead to ensure we are meeting the needs of our community.
"I thank everyone who took part in the survey. Feedback from the community is absolutely vital in guiding our decision-making processes and improving the way we do business."
The Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey seeks community views on overall performance with benchmarking against state-wide and council group results. The survey also asks for feedback in the areas of Community Consultation, Advocacy, Making Community Decisions, Sealed Local Roads, Customer Service and Overall Council Direction.
The survey is conducted over the phone, with a sample size of 400 residents selected randomly.
To view the survey results go to www.indigoshire.vic.gov.au/CSS2019
