The City of Greater Bendigo continues to perform well in delivering important services to the community according to the results released from the 2023 Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey.
The main objective of the annual survey is to ask residents to assess the performance of the City across eight measures.
One hundred residents are contacted by telephone to take part in each quarterly survey to gauge their perceptions of the City.
The highest score was for the City's waste management (70), which was the best performing service, three points higher than similar regional centres and four points higher than the state-wide average.
The City's Customer service was also a top performer (69) with a two-point improvement compared to last year. The service outperformed similar regional centres by one point and the state-wide average by two points. More than two thirds of people who contacted our Customer Service staff reported a 'very good' or 'good' experience in their feedback.
Decisions made in the interest of the community at the City was the next highest rated service area (54). It ranked higher than similar regional centres (50) and the state-wide average for councils (51). The highest score was among people aged 18 to 49 years.
Consultation and engagement improved (52) and was two points higher than similar regional centres and on par with the state-wide measure. The highest score was from women aged 18 to 34.
Value for money (52) was two points higher than other similar regional centres and three points higher than the state-wide measure. Over a third of residents (34 per cent) rated the value for money they received from infrastructure and services provided to the community as 'very good' or 'good'. A further 36 per cent rated the City as 'average' in providing value for money.
Council's overall direction (47) remained consistent with last year's results and was above the state-wide comparison and on par with other regional centres. Residents in rural areas are the most satisfied with overall council direction.
Council's overall performance (56) was in line with other regional centres and state-wide comparisons. The highest score from those surveyed was among the 35 to 49 age group.
Sealed roads (53) remained four points higher compared to other similar regional centres and five points higher than state-wide indicators. The highest score was among people aged 18 to 34 and the lowest was from rural residents.
Acting CEO Andrew Cooney said the annual results provided the City with insights about areas performing well and those that require attention.
"Even though this small sample survey only reaches 100 people each quarter, these results help to understand some community perceptions about our services," Mr Cooney said.
"We received strong results in the waste management, customer service, and decision-making categories which is great to see, and we continue to seek new ways to improve the delivery of our services which we know are highly valued in the community."
To view the results, visit: https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/About/About-Greater-Bendigo/Community-Satisfaction-Survey
