THE CITY of Greater Bendigo should focus on improving consultation and engagement, residents said during an annual satisfaction survey.
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Pollsters from JWS Research surveyed 403 people and found the council had gained approval across all levels of operation, including slight gains for its consultation efforts.
But the topic was still the council's weakest point and the thing people were most likely to nominate for improvement, the survey found.
"People who have experienced Council's community consultation and engagement rate Council slightly more positively, but not significantly so," it found.
There was a bright spot for the council on community consultation though.
One age group's approval had risen "significantly" since 2020, JWS Research found.
Among people aged 65 years and older, perception of Council performance on community consultation and engagement increased ... eight index points," it said.
People aged 50 to 64 years old rated the council the lowest for consultation.
Just under half of those surveyed believed the council was heading in the right direction.
The figure remained unchanged from 2020 at 48 per cent. Women and people aged over 35 were the most likely to believe the council needed to improve on that front.
The council performed higher than the state average for waste management and its handling of sealed roads.
It also gained ground for its customer service with 66 per cent of people saying they had had a positive experience.
Chief executive Craig Niemann said that was especially good to see after a year of emergency financial support and other actions the council had rolled out to deal with the pandemic.
"The overall performance was up from 58 to 59 and our scores on community decisions and consultation and engagement were in line or above regional centre averages," Mr Niemann said.
"Although the survey only takes in a small sample of residents, we are always seeking to improve the way we serve our community and these results will help to guide us."
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
