Can’t get no Satisfaction

Satisfaction with the council has dropped on every indicator in the 2022 Community Satisfaction Survey.

The annual survey of community satisfaction with Victorian Councils, undertaken by the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP), surveys local residents and asks them to rate their council’s performance in a range of areas.

Bass Coast Shire Council isn’t keen to share the results of this year’s survey, not posting the report on its website, presenting it at the latest council meeting, or releasing it to media.

On request, the council provided the Advertiser with a brief summary.

Satisfaction with Bass Coast Shire Council’s overall performance has dropped to 57 from 59 in 2021, but is still higher than any survey between 2015 and 2020.

The satisfaction rating for overall direction dropped by five points to 47, the lowest recorded since 2017.

Ratings also dropped for community decisions (53 from 57) and consultation and engagement (51 from 54), while council’s value for money rating also dropped to 48, from 51 in 2021.

Satisfaction with Council’s performance in customer service remained steady (69), while waste management and sealed roads all dropped by one point.

A council spokesperson said results are down right across the sector with “the decreases experienced by Bass Coast comparable to other Large Rural Councils”.

Island unhappy

Phillip Island residents consistently rated the council lower than residents from other areas.

Council’s lowest rating for overall performance, value for money, overall direction, waste management and community decisions came from Phillip Island. The council’s consultation and engagement scored lowest with island residents aged between 50-64 years.

Overall, younger people (18 -34 years) rated council higher than their older counterparts, particularly in overall performance, direction, customer service, community decisions and consultation.

Bunurong residents were the happiest with council’s approach to waste management. Bunurong residents and non-residents aged 18-34 gave council its highest score for value for money.

Overall, Bass Coast’s results were on par or slightly higher than other councils in the Large Rural category, while the results were under the state-wide average in every area except customer service and sealed local roads.

Delay

Many Victorian councils have already released their full survey results.

However Bass Coast has advised it will not be releasing the full report until after the publication of Council’s Annual Report and the results are on the “Know Your Council” website.

The council did not respond when asked why the full results were being held until late September and why the summary had not been released.

A summary of Bass Coast Shire Council’s performance from the 2022 Community Satisfaction survey. The council said the full results would not be released until later this year.
 

A comparison of results for 2022 and 2021 for Bass Coast, Large Rural Councils and state-wide councils.