Moira Shire Council Chair Administrator Dr Graeme Emonson said the Community Satisfaction Survey results have provided valuable insights into council’s service quality and customer experience.
Community attitudes towards the performance of Moira Shire Council have entered a “third consecutive year of decline”, according to a new report conducted by JWS Research.
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The results of the ‘2024 Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey’ were released on Monday, September 9 with Moira Shire Council Chair Administrator Dr Graeme Emonson saying the council was grateful for the feedback from the community.
“Council’s 2023/2024 Community Satisfaction Survey results have provided valuable insights into our service quality and customer experience, with community sentiment in the overall direction of council having increased significantly from 2022/2023,” Dr Emonson said.
Respondents were asked the following question by the surveyors: 'ON BALANCE, for the last twelve months, how do you feel about the performance of Moira Shire Council, not just on one or two issues, BUT OVERALL across all responsibility areas? Has it been very good, good, average, poor or very poor?'
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JWS Research
“The results have also identified service areas where we have ongoing opportunities for improvement.”
Survey respondents were asked to evaluate the council’s performance across a five-point index scale, from “very poor” to “very good”.
Responses of “very good” produced a score of 100, while “very poor” produced a score of zero, with the result averaged out to produce an index score from zero to 100.
At least 14 per cent of respondents said the council’s overall direction over the previous 12 months had improved, up from six per cent and 11 per cent of respondents in 2023 and 2022 respectively.
However, in perceived overall performance, the council scored 38 out of a potential 100 indexed points, down from 40 in 2023 - “statistically significantly lower” than both the statewide and large rural group averages for this year, at 54 and 50 respectively.
Whilst perceptions of the direction of council’s overall performance have significantly improved among Nathalia/Numurkah and Yarrawonga residents, and those aged 50 years and over, Cobram residents remain the most satisfied , while Yarrawonga residents remain the least satisfied.
The service area in which the council performed strongest was waste management, with an index score of 60.
It was in sealed local roads, lobbying, consultation and engagement, and decisions made in the interests of the community that community perceptions fell below the statewide and large rural area average.
Narrowing down further to Yarrawonga, the overall performance sat at 27 points, down from 31 in 2023 and the lowest of the covid/ post covid years with 2021 seeing 57 points whilst 2022 had 46.
When asked ‘on balance, for the last twelve months, how do you feel about the performance of Moira Shire Council, not just on one or two issues, but overall across all responsibility areas?’, on percentage only one percent deemed Yarrawonga very good whilst 33 percent were average and 38 percent said it was very poor.
At least 34 per cent of respondents said the council’s performance on the condition of sealed local roads in their area was “very poor” - compared to 19 per cent of respondents statewide.
When asked ‘how would you rate Moira Shire Council at providing good value for money in infrastructure and services provided to your community?’, Yarrawonga had the worst results with an index score of 23, down from 28 in 2023.
Once again Yarrawonga’s index score was at its lowest of the pandemic times with 2021 seeing a score of 49 before dropping to 40 in 2022.
The result is an all-time low for the current administration, reflecting a steady decline in perceptions from the 2023 survey, in which 28 per cent of respondents said the council’s performance on the condition of sealed local roads was “very poor”.
“In the next 12 months it will be important for council to conciliate resident concerns about sealed roads and recover positive perceptions among Yarrawonga residents and 34- to 49-year-olds,” the report said.
Yarrawonga’s contact with council (56%) was the lowest of the four major towns however was the highest percentage it had been since 2018.
Besides the 18 - 34 age group, Yarrawonga was the lowest in terms of customer service ratings with an index score of 47 and ranked the lowest in terms of consultation and engagement perfromance, and lobbying on behalf of the community, sitting at 29.
Lastly, when asked ‘how has council performed on ‘decisions made in the interest of the community’ over the last 12 months?’, Yarrawonga polled the worst with an index score of 27 whilst Cobram say just below the state-weide average with 48.
The annual survey, funded by councils, is carried out by Melbourne-based consultancy JWS Research under the auspices of the Department of Government Services.
Conducted this year between January 29 to March 18, the report built on feedback from 401 respondents across Moira Shire.
Since June this year, the Moira Shire Council panel has consisted of Chair Administrator Dr Emonson and Administrator Suzanna Sheed.
Councils are not required to release the results of their respective surveys to the public.
Readers can read a copy of the report here: https://www.moira.vic.gov.au/Our-Council/Our-performance/Performance-Reporting-and-Community-Satisfaction
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