Resident satisfaction survey has council’s tail up
It ‘‘rarely floods’’ and you ‘‘don’t see dogs roaming around’’.
More ticks in the ‘win’ column for the Marlborough District Council as it rides a 10-year high in its annual satisfaction survey.
Forty-nine people made comments to the effect of ‘‘don’t see dogs roaming around’’, which begs a question about people’s expectations regarding vagrant canines.
Residents were asked to rate various council services from 1 (bad) to 9 (really good), and overall the council scored an average of 7.6, up from last year’s 7.2.
People were most happy with drinking water, emergency services, and sewage.
The lowest scoring areas were biosecurity (such as monitoring plant pests) and democratic process – with many people commenting too much was done behind closed doors.
Residents were also asked to prioritise council services. The services people cared about most were also those where the council had scored well.
The services people cared about least were culture and heritage, the Marlborough Research Centre, animal control, and tourism.
Satisfaction with some services, such as unsealed roads, was lower in rural areas.
On the subject of flood control, the survey said ’’smaller communities outside of Blenheim were mixed in their levels of performance satisfaction’’.
Residents interviewed by the Marlborough Express were fairly ambivalent when it came to rating their experience with council services.
‘‘We’re from Havelock, so the council doesn’t really supply much,’’ Raewyn Sinclair said.
She said she was happy with the services she did receive, such as drinking water.
‘‘They sorted the mains out pretty quickly when it broke.’’
Sinclair said the council focused on areas with more population, and the community looked to its own needs.
‘‘We either fundraise or just get the job done,’’ she said.
‘‘With all the earthquakes and everything that’s gone on, [the council has] got other problems that are bigger.’’
Dave Oliver, chairman of the Menz Shed bike initiative, said ‘‘they do us good’’.
‘‘We’ve asked the council for a few favours and they’ve come up with the goods every time,’’ he said.
‘‘As a private citizen I haven’t had any problems.’’
Bev Lindsay said the council was rarely on her mind.
‘‘I don’t really give it much thought unless there’s a problem.’’
She said she didn’t have many council-related problems, so that was just fine.
Overall, 15 services increased their performance scores compared with 2016, six had lower scores, and one stayed the same.