Resident satisfaction on the rise

29 August 2013

Waipa residents are increasingly satisfied with the services and activities their council provides and 95 percent are likely to promote the district as a good place to live.

Those are just two of the findings of the latest National Research Bureau survey that helps Waipa District Council gauge what it is doing well and where it can improve.

This year's survey has also revealed two thirds of those who took part believe the council offers good value for money and more people are satisfied with the way the council includes the public in their decision making.

As part of its on-going commitment to continually improve services, Waipa District Council has engaged NRB to conduct annual surveys on its behalf since 1992. The survey is run by many councils around New Zealand and allows comparison to other local authorities.

Using a random selection method, 401 residents from the district's five wards were telephoned, and asked a core set of questions about the services the council delivers.

The highest levels of satisfaction were recorded for cemeteries, libraries and parks and reserves. The only obvious decline was in the waters activity following a long dry summer in which taste issues were reported in Te Awamutu due to the requirement to boost supply from an alternative source.

There was an increase in satisfaction with the Mayor, Councillors and community boards and two thirds were satisfied with their involvement in decision making.

Of those surveyed, 94 percent were satisfied with the performance of staff and 63 percent believed council services were good value for money. More than half said they were likely to talk positively about Waipa District Council and there was also an increase in the number of people who said the district was a better place to live than 12 months ago.

Deputy Chief Executive David Hall said overall the results were outstanding, particularly when the majority of activities rated by residents were above both peer council and national trends.

This survey is invaluable in helping us set our focus areas to improve our delivery of services, he said.

These are good strong results and show that by and large the community is happy with the service it receives.

A copy of the NRB survey results can be viewed by clicking here.

ENDS

For further information contact

Lisa Nairne

Senior Communications Advisor

Ph: 07 872 0062 or 027 532 1760

Email: lisa.nairne@waipadc.govt.nz