POOR RATINGS
A report card based on a community survey has slammed Baw Baw Shire for its consultation, decision making and overall performance.
Sealed road maintenance, communication and consultation were all areas the survey recommended as “areas for improvement.”
A number of councillors expressed their disappointment that the community had rated the council so negatively.
The annual community satisfaction survey results were presented to council last week.
In the past, results have not been released until August and in 2012, the results were not publically released ahead of local government elections.
This year’s results did not put a positive result on any core services.
Baw Baw’s performance results were classed as “significantly lower” than average state results in all areas and lower in all but one area (advocacy) for the large rural shires averages.
Some of the key findings in the survey showed significant decreases in performance compared to last year’s results including:
Overall performance - index score of 48 – six point decline.
Making community decisions – index score of 47 – six point decline.
Community consultation – index score of 48 – four point decline.
Advocacy – index score of 50 – three point decline.
Customer Service - index score of 66 – two point increase
Overall council direction – index score of 46 – four point decline.
Condition of sealed local roads – index score of 38 – two point increase. Twenty six per cent rated local roads as average condition, 51 per cent rated roads poor or very poor.
18-34 year olds, 65+ year olds and Mt Worth residents were the most satisfied resident groups.
The survey showed customer service was again the area where Baw Baw performed most strongly with an index score of 66, up two points from last year.
Residents were most likely to cite sealed road maintenance (26 per cent) and community consultation (15 per cent) as key areas for improvement for council.
Residents said parks and gardens (10 per cent) was the best aspect.
The community satisfaction survey, conducted in February and March by JWS Research, telephone surveyed 400 people.
Cr Peter Kostos said it was fair to point out “we have not excelled ourselves.”
He said the survey was based on a snapshot of people at a snapshot in time.
Cr Kostos said council had been criticised for its lack of consultation, yet he thought council had done extensive consultation over the past two or three years.
“I am disappointed but people are entitled to their opinion. It puts us on notice that we need to improve our performance,” he said.
Cr Tricia Jones said she was surprised and disappointed by the results.
“It is up to council to interpret these results and take the necessary steps to improve our standing in the community.
“We have done the consulting and the engaging, fixing up the roads – I don’t understand these results but these people who have these thoughts need to tell us what we are doing wrong,” she said.
Mayor Joe Gauci said council had set up a number of public advisory groups to engage with the community. “I’m not sure where we are going wrong. “This is a snapshot in time. It is there for public review but it is disappointing when we are trying to do our best,” he said.