The 2024 Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey results have been released which reflects the opinions of 401 people who were interviewed as part of a telephone survey.
Council's performance in three of the four main service areas evaluated remains in line with the regional centre group and state-wide averages.
Waste management performed the best out of the service area categories (index score of 61) with 18 per cent of people describing the service as very good, 38 per cent said it was good and 23 per cent said it was average.
Council's waste management rating remained high and in line with other regional centres, despite seeing a nine point decline this year.
Customer Service was a strong performer (64). The service was on par with the state-wide average. More than half of residents (56 per cent) had contact with Customer Service in the previous 12 months.
The Council's overall performance (53) was in line with other regional centres and state-wide comparisons.
Decisions made in the interest of the community at the City was 49, which was close to regional average levels with the highest score from people aged over 65.
Consultation and engagement scored 49 with six per cent of those surveyed said it was very good, 23 per cent said it was good and 33 per cent said it was average.
Sealed roads received an index score of 46 compared to 53 last year. This was on a par with regional and State averages that scored 46 and 45 respectively.
The survey took place after three major floods in December 2023 and January 2024 over a short period of time caused significant damage to roads and drainage systems.
Residents completed a telephone survey each quarter to gauge their perceptions of the City. Interviews were conducted across four quarters from June 2023 to March 2024.
City of Greater Bendigo CEO Andrew Cooney said the annual results provided the City with insights about service areas performing well and those that required attention.
"Although the sample telephone survey was very small, it did help us to understand some of the community perceptions about the City's main services during that time," Mr Cooney said.
"We know our 68 services are highly valued in our community and I am committed that our organisation continues to seek new ways to improve the delivery of our services.
"The City's waste management performed well but we did see a drop compared to the year before. It coincided with a significant change to waste management with the waste bin becoming a fortnightly collection.
"It only took a short time for people to adjust to the change, and we're already seeing great results thanks to residents getting on board with the weekly organics collection and better bin sorting. We've seen a 34 per cent reduction in general waste and a 60 per cent increase in food organics and garden organics (FOGO)*.
"That means a significant drop in food waste and organics ending up in landfill which is a big achievement from the community.
"I am delighted that Customer Service saw strong scores, indicating the service is well regarded and vital to serve the community well. We are always looking at ways to improve our service.
"The scores for sealed roads were on par with the state and regional averages and the survey reflected the heavy impact of the floods in the region. We identified more than 5,700 infrastructure defects, ranging from small-scale culvert clearing through to full reconstruction of sections of sealed and unsealed roads in various pockets. The total estimated value of these works is approximately $25M.
"The City continues to advocate for Federal funding and we are currently prioritising and programming works to remedy many of the defects.
"The focus for our 2024/2025 Budget provides a significant investment in roads, footpaths and infrastructure which aligns with community priorities from public consultation collated at the start of the Budget process.
"The satisfaction survey also covered community engagement and consultation. This is a top priority in how we do business, and it plays a vital role in the development of many City strategic plans, policies and infrastructure projects.
"The City's engagement platform Let's Talk Greater Bendigo continues to be very successful, attracting 121,467 unique visits to the site since it began in 2020. In the last financial year, 30 important projects on Let's Talk involved public consultation.
"If you're not a subscriber to Let's Talk Greater Bendigo, I do encourage people to sign up.
"It is not the only way we engage with the community. The City regularly hosts workshops, drop-in sessions and targeted bulletins because these projects are informed by community feedback.
"We also have a variety of ways to engage and consult with residents throughout the year. Listening Posts with Councillors and Meet the Mayor sessions are scheduled during the year. Residents can also stay informed through the City's social media channels, digital newsletters, media releases (on the City website) and our free GB magazine, so I encourage people to consider these options to stay well informed about City news and projects."
