Positives come from performance survey

Ensuring the City of Greater Geelong is delivering top-notch services, programs and initiatives, and caring for the community is why I got into council.

I believe I have a good understanding of our people and the region and I want to make a positive difference.

I’ve learnt that council and the city need to be brave in their decision-making to meet community need, keep pushing for the best and learn from mistakes.

The results are out from the Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey (coordinated by Local Government Victoria) and there are a lot of practical learnings to take out of it.

I thank the community members who contributed, because it’s this feedback that helps to drive positive change in the organisation, which leads to positive change for the community.

Respondents were asked to rate the city’s performance on core measures and the importance and/or performance of service areas.

I was really pleased to see that the council’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic with $16.9 million worth of community and business initiatives was well regarded.

The city performed as well or significantly higher compared to Victorian averages on 23 out of 25 service areas and overall, the city’s performance has continued to improve since 2018.

In terms of the organisation’s value for money in services and infrastructure, the city rated higher than the statewide averages.
Some real positives to take out of the survey, but there is a lot more work to be done!

Community members believe the organisation could improve on environmental sustainability and planning for growth, in response to our growing population.

On the matter of sustainability, council couldn’t agree more, which is why we committed the city to 23 targets last week, to drive sustainability in areas like the environment, community health, active travel and the economy.

The Sustainability Performance Indicators and Targets follow council’s adoption of the Sustainability Framework and Action Plan last year.

Some of the new goals to be achieved by 2030 to help protect the region’s unique environment include:Divert 100 per cent of rubbish, recyclables and green organics collected from kerbside bins away from landfill
Zero waste to landfill from city office buildings, and
20 per cent of all water used by the city is sourced from alternative water sources.

They’re ambitious targets, but without bold goals, sometimes plans and actions lag.

In terms of managing continued growth, this is a challenge that council is all too aware of.

Last year we adopted Amendment C395, which implements the Geelong-wide Settlement Strategy and the Northern and Western Geelong Growth Areas Framework Plan into the planning scheme.

These two strategies will guide Geelong’s population growth over the coming decades and pave the way for regional Victoria’s largest greenfield project in Geelong’s north and west.

The Settlement Strategy also commits to directing long-term growth away from the Bellarine Peninsula.

Reflecting on how you can do things better is important for everyone – on a personal and professional level.

This feedback is food for thought on improvement opportunities and will sharpen council’s decision-making and the ity’s focus on providing residents with high quality services.

Former Saleyards site
If you grew up in Greater Geelong or live inner-city, you’re probably aware of the former Geelong Saleyards site in North Geelong and its historic significance.

The Geelong Saleyards operated for nearly 150 years on Weddell Road from 1869 for farmers across the region to buy and sell sheep, cattle and poultry.

It’s been sitting idle for the last few years but thanks to community and stakeholder feedback, the site (and the Gateways Support Services site) will be transformed into housing, shops and more than 40,000 square metres of publicly accessible open space.

Council adopted the Saleyards Precinct Plan last week, which will ensure that the site’s rich history will be woven into the fabric of this new development.

Historical material from the saleyards will be reused/interpreted, a new central park will be created, buildings will be energy efficient and connections to North Geelong train station will be prioritised.

This plan offers so many opportunities to create a vibrant neighbourhood that has strong active transport links and habitat for local species to thrive.

You can read more about the Saleyards Precinct Plan at the council website.

Cr Peter Murrihy,
Brownbill Ward