Resident survey results inform Council
The 2023 Residents’ Opinion Survey indicated an incremental increase in overall resident satisfaction with Council services, with room for improvement in some key areas.
The findings of the 2023 Residents' Opinion Survey were presented at the last Central Otago District Council (CODC) meeting on Wednesday 27 September 2023. The purpose of the annual survey is to gauge community satisfaction with Council services and help identify priorities for the future.
There was an increase in response rate this year (440) compared with last year (183). This year also saw an increase in the under 40-year-old demographic participating. This provided a useful sample so that Council got a clearer picture of how it was performing.
Highlighted in the report to Council were those services that received high satisfaction ratings (90% or above) including libraries, sports fields and playgrounds, Council’s service centres, LIM reports and alcohol licensing. Council also received positive feedback on the quality of customer interaction with staff.
The survey also revealed those areas where Council received lower satisfaction ratings (75% or below), including roads, noise control, waste minimisation education, building consents and inspections, community buildings and after-hours services.
“This is why this annual survey is so important” Community and Engagement Manager Paula Penno said.
“It gives our community an opportunity to let us know which activities the community sees as priorities and where we need to focus to get those services right.”
Residents reported satisfaction with elected councillor and community board member performance, although a number of respondents indicated that they were unsure how to score those questions. These satisfaction ratings improved over last year’s results.
The community was asked to identify the priority issues for the next three years. The issues that were mentioned the most included recycling depots, community development, sealed roads and water supply.
Overall, the survey indicated an incremental increase in resident satisfaction with Council services.
The survey was open from May-July 2023 and attracted 440 respondents.
To read the full report, please go to Residents' Survey 2023 | Let’s Talk Central Otago (codc.govt.nz).
