Councils Doing A Good Job, But There’s Room To Improve
Most Victorians believe their local council is doing a good job, according to an annual survey, but residents believe there is still room for improvement.
The Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey 2015 reveals 69 per cent of residents believe their council is heading in the right direction. One in five residents said services had improved over the past year.
Residents listed parks and gardens, recreational and sporting facilities, and customer service, as the best features of their local councils.
But councils are still struggling with maintenance of unsealed and sealed roads, planning for population growth, rate rises and the condition of local streets and footpaths.
The Andrews Labor Government will reform local government over this term, ensuring council decisions are made in the best interest of the community.
The Labor Government will make councils more accountable and impose a cap on rates, encouraging them to reduce waste and focus on the things that matter.
The Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey aims to identify ways to improve services by assessing the performance of Victorian councils and helping locals provide feedback.
Ms Hutchins said 69 of Victoria’s 79 councils participated in the survey this year, up from 67 councils in 2014. More than 28,300 interviews were conducted across the state in February and March 2015.
Overall performance of Victoria’s councils – based on a state-wide index of a score of 100 points – was 60, which is consistent with the trend over the past four years.
The 69 participating councils have received their survey results, and the aggregated statewide research report can be found at www.delwp.vic.gov.au/council-satisfaction-survey
Quotes attributable to Minister for Local Government, Natalie Hutchins
“On the whole, councils are doing a good job, but there is still room to improve. That’s why we’re working with councils to reduce waste and improve services.”
“We’re making local government services better for communities, establishing the Fair Go Rates Cap, reviewing the Local Government Act and creating the local council reporting website.”