The annual Victorian Community Satisfaction Survey results are out and Monash has recorded a strong result for overall community satisfaction.
Council scored 73 for overall satisfaction, significantly higher than the 2019 metropolitan Melbourne average benchmark of 69.
High scores were also achieved for community satisfaction with Council's governance and leadership, averaging a score of 73 for five key aspects:
- Maintaining trust and confidence of the local community (73)
- Community engagement and consultation (73)
- Making decisions in the interest of the community (72)
- Responsiveness to local community needs (72) and
- Representation, lobbying and advocacy on behalf of community (72)
- Each of these aspects rated significantly above the Melbourne metropolitan benchmark.
Monash Mayor Shane McCluskey said Council valued the feedback from the community which provides great direction on where service to the community can be improved.
"These are excellent results and give us confidence that the work we are doing in a number of areas is resonating with our community and is recognised and valued," Cr McCluskey said.
"Community is at the heart of all we do and we will continue our commitment to communicating with our residents, encouraging them to have their say about what matters to them and advocating on the issues that are important to Monash.
"The survey also provides valuable information about where we can improve and we have taken that feedback on board and will be looking at the concerns raised and how we can address them."
Council surveyed 800 randomly-selected residents in face-to-face interviews during May and June.
Other highlights from the survey showed that Council received excellent results in the survey for satisfaction with a number of core services including for libraries (85), waste management (84) and customer service (78).
Satisfaction with Council services for older residents and seniors was 85 (up 6%), the provision of arts and cultural events 82 (up 5%) and Council's support to local community organisations, clubs and associations has reached a high 81.
The issues identified by residents as needing attention in Monash are car parking, traffic management, street lighting, the maintenance of street trees and urban planning (impacts of increased housing density and development).
The survey also asks residents to rate their sense of community and perceptions of safety. This information is very useful for Council's community strengthening projects.
"I have always known Monash is a community that reaches out to others so it was encouraging that accepting people from diverse cultures remains very strong in Monash with a score of 81, well above the metro average of 78," Cr McCluskey said.
The full survey results are available on Council's website: https://www.monash.vic.gov.au/Our-Performance
