Community feedback continues to guide Council as Community Satisfaction Survey gets underway

The City of Ballarat is undertaking its annual Community Satisfaction Survey, providing residents with an opportunity to share their views on Council services, performance and priorities.

Over the coming weeks, residents may receive a phone call from Klein Research, an independent research company contracted by the Victorian Government to carry out the survey.  

A similar survey is conducted across all other Victorian councils as part of the mandatory Local Government Performance Reporting Framework.  

The survey involves 400 phone interviews from a representative sample of residents and will cover a wide range of topics including overall performance, community consultation, sealed local roads, safety, waste management, customer service, and overall Council direction.

Last year’s Community Satisfaction Survey results provided valuable insight into community perceptions of Council services and performance.  

Customer Service and Waste Management continued to be strong performers, while the condition of sealed local roads recorded the most significant improvement, increasing by seven points. Community consultation and engagement were identified as areas residents wanted Council to continue strengthening.

Since those results were released, Council has been using community feedback to help inform planning and service delivery.  

Following recent year’s increased investment in road maintenance, Council has continued to deliver a significant improvement program, maintaining that level of investment to improve the quality, safety, and reliability of the local road network.

This includes the City of Ballarat’s major road maintenance blitz, which will take place again in the coming weeks, targeting local roads through asphalt patching, resurfacing, and resealing to address road deterioration and extend the life of the network.

Key routes updated last year include Dyson Drive in Alfredton, Greenhalghs Road at Bunkers Hill, and Ballarat Link Road at Wendouree.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the Community Satisfaction Survey remains a vital tool for understanding whether Council is meeting community expectations.  

“The survey gives residents a direct voice and helps us understand how our community is experiencing Council services,” she said.

“Last year’s feedback helped shape our focus, particularly around how we engage with our community.

“We’ve been working to build on that feedback, and this year’s survey will help us understand what’s working well and where we need to continue to improve.”  

Last year, Council undertook one of its most extensive engagement programs as part of the development of the Council Plan, hearing from more than 2,200 people through surveys, drop-in sessions and community events.  

This was supported by a deliberative community panel made up of a representative group of residents who reviewed the Community Vision and developed principles that were considered in the development of the Council Plan.

Independent evaluation of the panel process showed a strong shift in participant confidence and trust, with participants reporting increased confidence that Council would act on community input and a greater willingness to be involved in future decision-making.

Most notably, there was a 245 per cent increase in the number of participants who felt that the City of Ballarat’s community engagement activities had been collaborative, genuine, and worthwhile. 

Council has also expanded face-to-face opportunities for residents to connect directly with Councillors and staff. The inaugural Let’s Chat Ballarat Community Expo, held in March last year, attracted around 500 people over two half day sessions and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees.

The Expo also launched a series of Councillor Roadshows across the municipality, providing local opportunities for residents to discuss issues directly with their ward Councillors.  

The Let’s Chat Ballarat Community Expo will return again this March, with opportunities for residents to meet Councillors, who will be there for longer periods, learn more about Council services and projects, and share their ideas and concerns.

In addition to the annual Community Satisfaction Survey, Council gathers feedback from the community throughout the year through a range of channels.  

This includes regular post interaction customer surveys, feedback through the Snap Send Solve app, targeted consultation on specific projects and decisions, and the recently introduced Community Sentiment Survey, which provides deeper insight into people’s experiences with Council.  

Individual responses to the Community Satisfaction Survey remain confidential, with overall results published later in the year.  

Council encourages residents who are contacted by Klein Research to take part, as the feedback plays an important role in shaping future planning, service delivery and investment for the Ballarat community.

For further information on the Community Satisfaction Survey, please visit the Council Community Satisfaction Survey page on the City of Ballarat website or contact City of Ballarat’s Customer Service team on 5320 5500.