Surf Coast residents asked to rate council performance

Surf Coast Shire residents and non-resident ratepayers may be contacted in the coming weeks as part of the state-run community satisfaction survey. Photo: ELLIE CLARINGBOLD

HOW Surf Coast Shire residents and ratepayers feel about council services, decision-making and value for money will again be put to the test, with the 2026 local government community satisfaction survey now under way.

Until the end of March, up to 600 residents and non-resident ratepayers will be contacted by an independent research agency and invited to share their views.

Participants may receive a call to their landline or mobile, and for the first time, there will be the option to take part online.

The annual survey is commissioned by the Victorian government and all councils across the state are able to participate.

Surf Coast Shire mayor Libby Stapleton said the results would be benchmarked against statewide results and other large rural councils.

“If you’re contacted and invited to participate, we encourage you to take part and give your opinions of council’s performance,” she said.

“The results are expected to be shared mid-year and will give us a good sense of how the community feels we’re going, including what’s working well and what can be improved.”

The survey assesses the council’s performance across several key themes, including local infrastructure, facilities and services, community consultation and engagement, customer service and overall direction. Responses are confidential, with only overall results provided to the council.

Participants will be asked basic demographic questions such as age, gender and location to ensure responses are gathered from a representative cross section of the community. They will not be asked for personal details such as name, address or income.

Last year’s survey delivered mixed results for the shire, with community satisfaction around road conditions falling to its lowest level in a decade, alongside declines across several other measures.

Despite this, the shire continues to perform above statewide averages and other large rural councils on most indicators, including overall performance.

For more information, phone 5261 0600 or email surfcoast.vic.gov.au/request