Results for the 2022 Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey have been released.
The main objective of the annual survey is to ask residents to assess the performance of the City of Greater Bendigo across seven performance measures.
The Community Satisfaction Survey approach has changed since last year's survey. Instead of one survey each year, one hundred residents are contacted by telephone to take part in each quarterly survey.
The highest score was for the City's waste management (70) which was the best performing service. It was ranked highly among rural and senior residents who were surveyed.
The sealed roads category was the second highest service area in performance (54) with the highest scores from residents aged 35 to 49 years. This service performance was in line with the Regional Centres group and the state-wide averages for councils.
The City's customer service (67) was rated in line with the Regional Centres group and the state-wide average for councils. Almost two thirds of residents (65 per cent) provided a positive customer service rating of 'very good' or 'good' (22 per cent rated the customer service as 'very good').
The City's overall performance (57) was rated in line with the Regional Centres group and the state-wide average for councils. Ratings among residents aged 18 to 34 were positive and confident with the City's overall performance (63) compared to people aged 50 to 64 (50).
More than a third of residents (38 per cent, unchanged from 2021) rated the value for money they received from infrastructure and services provided to the community as 'very good' or 'good'. A further 35 per cent rated the City as 'average' in providing value for money.
On community decisions (53), the City was rated in line with the Regional Centres group and the state-wide average for councils with performance ratings higher among residents aged 18 to 34 compared to the 50 to 64 age group.
Over the past 12 months, 62 per cent of people surveyed believed the direction of the City had remained then same, 14 per cent said the direction of its overall performance had improved, up from 11 per cent in 2021. Young people aged 18-34 were more positive and confident about the City's direction, compared to people aged over 65.
On consultation and engagement (51), the results did not vary significantly between the demographic groupings who participated in the survey.
Chief Executive Officer Craig Niemann said the annual results provided a good indication of areas performing well and those that required attention.
"Even though the telephone sample survey is very small and only reaches 100 people each quarter, the City is always seeking to improve the way we serve the community and these results track community perceptions about our services," Mr Niemann said.
"The City's services in waste management and sealed roads are the top performers and the survey shows the 18 to 34 age group were much more positive about categories covering value for money, waste management, sealed roads, customer service, community decisions, and overall performance.
"It was also good to see that almost two thirds who contacted our Customer Service staff reported a strong and positive experience in their feedback.
"The survey also covered community engagement and consultation which are top priorities in how we do business and play a vital role in the development of many City strategic plans, policies and infrastructure projects.
"To further enhance community consultation, the City launched a new engagement platform Let's Talk Greater Bendigo in February 2021 which continues to be very successful, attracting 53,000 visits to the site to date and community feedback on 56 important projects.
"For example, Let's Talk featured a kerbside bin collection survey that had 2,825 people respond, our work on a new Domestic Animal Management Policy (DAMP) received 1,131 submissions from the public. Projects that seek public involvement often have workshops, drop in sessions and targeted bulletins to keep the community involved. Let's Talk does not replace face-to-face consultation, rather it is meant as an alternative and convenient option for those who may not be able to attend engagement activities in person.
"If you're not a subscriber to Let's Talk Greater Bendigo, I do encourage people to sign up as it details a variety of projects where the community can get involved, provide input and keep informed about important projects for the region.
"We also have a variety of ways to engage and consult with residents. Listening Posts with Councillors and Meet the Mayor sessions are scheduled during the year. Residents can also stay informed through the City's social media channels, digital newsletters, media releases (on the website) and our free GB magazine, so I encourage people to consider these options to stay informed with City news and projects."
The Community Satisfaction Survey is managed by JWS Research also known as the National Field Services. This is a Local Government Survey authorised by the City. The length of the interview is seven minutes and is initiated by a phone call. The questions include demographics such as renting or owning a home, age, gender; language and country of birth. These calls occur all year round with 100 people each quarter.
