Community satisfaction at equal second highest ever recorded
Published on 20 March 2024
Satisfaction with Council’s overall performance has hit an equal second highest score ever recorded in Maribyrnong in 2023, reflecting our performance in addressing the needs of our community.
We received a satisfaction score of 6.9, on par with the 2021 results and only slightly below the record high in 2020.
Average satisfaction with Council’s 39 services and facilities has increased marginally to 7.5 out of 10, remaining on average “very good”. Feedback from community showed the same eight services and facilities received a score measurably higher than the average – fortnightly recycling, weekly garbage collection, library services, fortnightly green waste collection, annual hard rubbish collection, Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre, provision and maintenance of playgrounds, and additional paid hard rubbish collection.
Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam said it was heartening to see not only the level of satisfaction increase, but to also see the level of dissatisfaction decrease.
“There was an increase in the number of people who were “very satisfied” – 38 per cent, up from 31 per cent – and there was also a record decline of people who were dissatisfied with Council’s performance to just 7 per cent. The survey, while helpful in showing us what you feel we are doing right, also shows us where you want us to change or add focus,” she said.
“This includes parking enforcement, footpath maintenance and repairs, maintenance and cleaning of Footscray CBD, maintenance and repair of sealed local roads, and public toilets being rated measurably lower than average, at 6.7 out of 10. While this is still recorded as “good” satisfaction rating, it is a decrease. Similarly, road maintenance and repairs, and traffic management are the top issues ‘at the moment’ the community wants Council to address.”
A total of 58 per cent of respondents support increased spending for city amenity and safety, 56 per cent support increased funding for cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, and 53 per cent support increased funding for sustainability and environment and open space.
There was a decrease in cycling and walking tracks as an issue (4 per cent, halved from 8 per cent), and the decline in building, housing, planning and development issues (3 per cent, down from 8 per cent) is also consistent with improvements in satisfaction with these areas.
The 2023 survey of 800 randomly selected respondents was conducted door-to-door in September 2023. The response rate of 59 per cent is the highest recorded since the survey began in 2004, which reflects well on the level of community engagement with Council.
This year’s survey also foreshadows a shift in the way our community engages with Council, away from in-person visits, to emails and website contact. Only 9 per cent of respondents reported contacting Council in-person. While this is up on the previous year (9 per cent), it is just over half of the in-person contacts (17.6 per cent in 2019 pre-COVID.
The Annual Community Survey is a requirement of all Local Governments in Victoria, providing opportunity for Councils and communities to view the overall findings and trends for service areas covered in the survey.
Maribyrnong News
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