Community attitudes towards Moira Shire Council's overall performance have fallen to a “third consecutive year of decline“, according to a new report.
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Owen Sinclair
Community attitudes towards the performance of Moira Shire Council have entered a “third consecutive year of decline”, according to a new report.
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The results of the 2024 Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey were released on Monday, September 9.
Moira Shire Council Chair Administrator Dr Graeme Emonson said 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.
“The results have also identified service areas where we have ongoing opportunities for improvement.”
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.
Community perceptions towards Moira Shire Council’s overall performance across all service areas. Respondents were asked the following question: “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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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.
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.
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”.
The latest report found that Cobram residents had more positive views on Moira Shire Council’s performance than other residents, such as those of Yarrawonga.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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