Community Satisfaction Survey results to be released

The City of Ballarat will today release the results of the 2023 Community Satisfaction Survey, which will be presented at Wednesday night’s Council meeting.  

The survey found 72 per cent of participants rated the City of Ballarat’s overall performance as average and above. However, the City of Ballarat’s assessed performance on several measures decreased from 2022 in line with regional and state-wide downward trends.  

Top performing service areas included customer service, waste management and community consultation and engagement, while low performing service areas included sealed local roads after a particularly challenging year of high rainfall. 

The survey was conducted by independent survey provider JWS Research in February and March this year.  

City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Des Hudson said that while the survey results were not as positive as he would have liked, the City of Ballarat is taking concrete steps to improve services and process.  

“The 2023/24 Draft Budget features a range of allocations that residents have told us are priorities for them,” he said.  

“We’re increasing investment in infrastructure, such as roads, footpaths and drainage, and we’re increasing resources in the City of Ballarat Statutory and Strategic Planning teams to keep up with the demands of Ballarat’s rapid growth.”  

Cr Hudson also referred to the city-wide transformational capital works program currently underway, which invests heavily in community infrastructure, as another way the City of Ballarat is seeking to improve services and facilities for the community.  

“From the Her Majesty’s Theatre and Central Library upgrades, to works at the Alfredton Community Hub and the Wendouree West Recreation Reserve, we’re working hard to ensure that we are delivering a better Ballarat for our community,” he said.  

Chief Executive Officer Evan King said upcoming consultation regarding the development of a Customer Charter – a document outlining what residents can expect when interacting with the City of Ballarat – would also provide the City of Ballarat with an opportunity to understand and better align with community expectations regarding the management of requests and reports.  

“The feedback collected through the upcoming consultation will inform the development of the City of Ballarat’s first Customer Charter and influence how we manage customers’ experience into the future,” he said.  

This is the second consecutive year the City of Ballarat has contracted JWS Research to undertake the Community Satisfaction Survey. The Community Satisfaction Survey is how the City of Ballarat meets its requirement under legislation to seek community feedback.

The full survey results of the 2023 Community Satisfaction Survey can be read in the Agenda for the upcoming June 28 Council Meeting, which will be published on the City of Ballarat website on Friday June 23.