Ratepayers invited to share views

THIS year’s iteration of the local government Community Satisfaction Survey (CSS) will kick off today (Friday, January 31) and both resident and non-resident ratepayers may receive a call.

The CSS will be conducted by Australian call centre National Field Services, with 600 Surf Coast Shire ratepayers set to be interviewed about their views on the council’s performance across a range of areas.

These areas include overall council direction, local infrastructure and services, community engagement, customer service and decisions made in the interest of the community.

“This is a good chance for the community to provide feedback on how the council is going, including what’s working well and what can be improved,” deputy mayor Libby Stapleton said.

“If you receive a call, we encourage you to take the time to participate in the interview and give your honest opinions.”

Calls will continue through February and results are expected to be shared in June.

Held annually, the CSS is co-ordinated by the Department of Government Services and provides insights into the community’s perceptions of the Surf Coast Shire council’s overall performance, benchmarking it against the performance of councils state-wide, as well as other large rural councils across Victoria.

Last year’s results saw the shire record its equal lowest overall performance rating in the past decade, scoring a rating of 57 out of a possible 100, and its lowest overall direction rating in the same period, at 45.

During the interview, researchers will ask for basic demographic information such as age, gender and location, but will never ask for personal details such a name, address or income.

Individual responses will be kept confidential, with only the overall results shared with the council.

Anyone with questions can visit surfcoast.vic.gov.au/request or phone 5261 0600 and ask for the co-ordinator of customer experience.