We take the results of the annual Community Satisfaction Survey (CSS) very seriously as we are continually looking at ways to improve services and safety for our community.
This is reflected in the above average results for the 2025 CSS in areas including bookable hard rubbish, local library services, regular weekly kerbside collection, sports ovals and other outdoor sporting facilities, provision and maintenance of parks and gardens, and provision and maintenance of playgrounds.
While satisfaction with our overall performance this year was rated “good”, we are below the metropolitan average and know we need to keep working on a number of areas including improving our focus on communications and community engagement.
We are already working closely with a range of other agencies, including Victoria Police and welfare organisations, on community safety and social issues. Tackling these complex topics requires a partnership approach so we welcomed the positive feedback and ideas we received from participants at the Community Safety Roundtable our Council convened earlier this year. This year, we included specific questions on safety in the CSS for the first time, to help inform this important work. This was possible because of the superior methodology of our new survey provider.
Our new Council Plan, which informs everything we do, also reflects the latest CSS results as it has a strong focus on safety, homelessness, service improvements and cleaning and maintenance of local areas, including our activity centres.
I would like to take this opportunity to correct some claims in the TWiSK article.
As previously explained, Council officers did not keep the 2024 CSS results “secret” until after the Council elections. The delay in publicly providing the results was due to an operational oversight by a team which had experienced staff changes. They addressed this the same day a resident advised them that the results hadn’t yet been published. Our CEO also committed to the 2025 CSS results being released on our website within a month of being received, which has happened. Our Action Plan demonstrating our commitment to improvement can also be found on our website – css-2025_-analysis-and-improvement-plan.pdf
It is also not the case that the results of the 2024 CSS prompted our Council to switch to Metropolis Research for the 2025 survey. Metropolis was appointed following a competitive public procurement process and is used by more than half of Victoria’s metropolitan councils. They offered deeper insights from their methodology which includes face-to-face, rather than phone, interviews. Metropolis also conducts a broader survey of non-client councils to enable benchmarking across the sector and with metro councils.
We have been very clear that a different research company, with a different methodology, conducted this year’s survey.
Our community’s feedback via the survey, and other avenues including community engagement, is incredibly important to us. We are listening and plans are already in place to deliver more improvements.
Mayor Louise Crawford
1 August 2025
This right of reply relates to this TWiSK report on the 2025 Community Satisfaction Survey Council gets ‘below average’ report card.
