Yarra residents are more satisfied than ever with our services – especially Yarra Libraries and Yarra Leisure – according to our most recent Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey.
Yarra Libraries was the top rated service, with almost 9 in 10 residents surveyed deeming it "excellent".
These results come after Yarra Libraries introduced the inaugural Fitzroy Writers Festival, launched its new app, and abolished late fees.
Waste collection, Yarra Leisure's public swimming pools, and Yarra Leisure gyms were close behind, with 85% of respondents giving each the "excellent" rating.
In the past year, the Richmond Recreation Centre won the highest award for gyms in the country.
Yarra Mayor, Cr Misha Coleman, said these results were particularly encouraging.
"The results are wonderful and are a reflection of the extra miles our staff put in, like our people who work with Yarra Libraries, which were our highest rated service," Cr Coleman said.
In fact, almost 80%of respondents thought our services on the whole deserved the "excellent" tick of approval. The 27 services and facilities in the survey received an overall ranking of 7.98 out of 10: an increase from 7.93 in 2019. Overall satisfaction sits at 7.15 out of 10, compared with the metropolitan Melbourne average of 6.99.
The extensive Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey is conducted each year among a random selection of households in Yarra. It helps us gauge how important our services are to our community, and how well we are delivering them.
"These survey results also helping us understand what's most important to people and what areas we need to keep trying to improve on" Cr Coleman said.
According to respondents, priority issues this year include car parking, building and planning development, and safety.
"This survey is just one of the ways that we seek feedback on our performance from the Yarra community. We'll keep adjusting our programs and services in response to what people are telling us- it's an ongoing job – including improving street cleanliness in North Richmond" Cr Coleman said.
The survey was conducted in February, before the coronavirus (COVID-19) response period. Since this time, Yarra Libraries introduced a number of other service offerings to help people through the period of physical distancing.
