Calls will soon commence to a cross-section of Baw Baw Shire residents to collect community sentiments that will inform results of the annual Community Satisfaction Survey for 2026.
Each year, Baw Baw Shire Council, along with a majority of other Victorian Councils, participate in the Local Government Victoria-led Community Satisfaction Survey program.
JWS Research, a third-party research company acting on behalf of Local Government Victoria, will interview a random sample of adult Baw Baw Shire residents and ask them about their satisfaction with services Council provides in the following areas:
- Overall performance
- Community consultation and engagement
- Lobbying on behalf of the community
- Decisions made in the interest of the community
- Condition of sealed local roads in your area
- Contact customer service
- Overall Council direction
Calls will take place periodically until mid-March next year and will inform the survey results which will be released later in 2026.
Over the year, a minimum of 400 adult residents will be surveyed.
Mayor of Baw Baw Shire Cr Danny Goss confirmed the legitimacy of the survey and encouraged residents to participate if called.
"It's important that we ask our community for feedback on different service areas so we gain insight on community sentiment, measure our performance, benchmark against other similar Councils and understand where we can improve", said the Mayor.
"We use the survey results to better understand community needs, wants and expectations. It also helps us to shape important documents such as the Council Plan, Annual Budget and assists with serviced planning and delivery.
"As always, all data will be compiled over the next year, and a full report will be released back to the community. We encourage those called to participate in the survey, however any residents who feel uncomfortable can decline to participate."
The researchers will comply with the guidelines of the Australian Communications and Media Authority, which state that they can call between 8:30am – 8:30pm on weekdays and 9am – 5:30pm on weekends.
Results of the 2025 survey are expected to be released in August.
