Ballarat City Council has welcomed the findings of the 2025 Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey, which provides valuable insights into community perceptions of City of Ballarat services and performance.
Conducted independently by JWS Research on behalf of the Victorian Government, the annual survey captures the views of residents across key areas. This year's results reflect a stable performance overall, with notable advancements and identified areas for future improvement.
Steady Overall Performance
Ballarat City Council's overall performance index score remains steady at 51, consistent with 2024 and 2023 results. While this score is in line with the State-wide average (53), it remains slightly below the average for Regional Centres (54).
The survey highlights that younger residents (18 to 34 years) and older residents (65+) are the most satisfied with Council's overall performance.
Customer Service and Waste Management lead the way
Customer Service continues to be a strong performer, with an index score of 67, which is up two points from last year and on par with regional and state averages. More than 60 per cent of residents who had contact with Council rated their experience as 'good' or 'very good'.
The organisation continues to build on this as a focus area, including the recent implementation of a post-interaction survey to all customers who log customer service requests to gather instant feedback for improvement.
Waste Management remains another high-rated service area, maintaining a strong index score of 63 for the fourth consecutive year. This reflects Council's ongoing commitment to reliable and sustainable waste services.
Roads and Engagement identified as priorities
The most significant improvement was seen in the condition of sealed roads, which rose by seven points to an index score of 40.
While this is a positive step, it remains the lowest-rated service area and below both the State-wide (45) and Regional Centres (46) averages.
Council welcomes this feedback and will continue to prioritise road maintenance and upgrades, while also acknowledging that many respondents specified State Government-managed roads when providing feedback for the survey.
Community consultation and engagement, along with decision-making in the interest of the community, remain steady but have not improved over the past three years. These areas received index scores of 48 and 46 respectively. Council recognises the importance of transparent and inclusive decision-making and will explore new ways to strengthen community involvement.
Listening to the community
The survey also asked residents to identify areas for improvement. The top responses included community consultation (21%), sealed road maintenance (20%), and financial management (14%). These insights will directly inform Council's planning and service delivery over the next 12 months.
Looking ahead
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the survey results provide a valuable benchmark for Council.
"We're grateful to the residents who took the time to share their views," she said.
"This feedback helps us understand what we're doing well and where we need to improve. We're particularly encouraged by the gains in road maintenance and customer service.
"As a Council and organisation we're committed to delivering high-quality services, engaging meaningfully with residents, and ensuring that everyone feels heard and supported.
"We will continue to build on this momentum while working with and for our community."
Click here to view the full 2025 Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey results.
