Archive:  Surveys

Last Updated 6/10/08 

 

 

DPCD Community Satisfaction Survey - Council:  Same Old, Same Old... Mediocrity

(10/8/08 - C)  Planning, local roads and footpaths are "key improvement areas", with community engagement "act here next"

The latest Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey, run by the Department of Planning and Community Development, has been released.  These surveys are conducted annually for municipalities throughout Victoria, sampling 350 residents in each. 

 

According to the results, this year the only major (weighted) improvement noted for Macedon Ranges is in the Advocacy category (perhaps due to the survey coinciding with Council's win in the Supreme Court on the Romsey pokies issues in March this year). 

 

Other areas which showed improvement (unweighted) were Overall Performance (+2%), Community Engagement (+4%), Human and Health Services (+3%), Economic Development (+4%) and Town Planning Policy and Approvals (+6%). 

 

The areas where community satisfaction fell were Customer Contact (-1%), Local Roads and Footpaths (-6%), Appearance of Public Areas (-3%), Traffic Management and Parking Facilities (-12%), Waste Management (-1%), and Enforcement of Local Laws (-2%).

 

The areas with the lowest satisfaction ratings were Local Roads and Footpaths (43% satisfaction, -6% in 2008), and Town Planning Policy and Approvals (46%, +6%).  Note: 'satisfaction' with planning has been below 50% since 2004 (53% in 2003).

 

The areas with highest satisfaction levels were Health and Human Services (81%, +3%), Appearance of Public Areas (79%, -3%), and

Advocacy (78%, +4%).

 

For the results in Macedon Ranges to have a context, DPCD provides ratings for comparison with other municipalities in the Large Rural Councils group (of which Macedon ranges is a member), and all Councils in the State.  This puts a different perspective on Macedon Ranges' performance. 

 

Comparison With Other Large Rural Shires

Despite rises and falls in ratings in some areas, overall Macedon Ranges' ratings were:

Comparison With All Victorian Councils

Overall Macedon Ranges' ratings were significantly lower than those across all Councils.  The only two categories where Macedon Ranges came out ahead at a Statewide level were Advocacy (78% v 77%) and Traffic Management and Parking (67% v 65%).  Macedon Ranges rose 4% in Advocacy whereas Statewide there was a 2% fall, and Macedon Ranges fell 12% on Traffic Management and Parking whereas Statewide there was only a 3% fall.

 

The overall picture is of mediocrity - that is, a Shire struggling to achieve and maintain acceptable standards in a number of categories, and particularly, struggling to find any form of consistent improvement over time.  Macedon Ranges lags behind in most categories when compared with other large rural shires, and falls well short when compared with Statewide standards. The lowest ratings (below 50%) point to an urgent need for a concerted effort to make major improvements. 

 

Click here for a simple summary of Macedon Ranges results.

 

The Macedon Ranges’ report can be downloaded from Council’s website: http://www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/Files/CommSatisfactionSurvey08.pdf  

 

There is also a State level overview available from DPCD’s website: www.dpcd.vic.gov.au

 

MRRA Says:

 

It is almost unbelievable that there is actually a Shire in the Large Rural group that is worse than Macedon Ranges, but it seems there is!!!

 

The really critical area for Macedon Ranges is (again) planning, highlighting what an important issue it is to most residents.  It isn't just a problem this year, it has always been a problem.  The kindest thing that can be said about Council's performance in planning, since amalgamation, is dismal.  It is to be hoped that after the November Council election, the Shire will have a majority of Councillors who understand planning (as opposed to those who use it for their own purposes) and will at long last lift the Shire from being almost bottom of the heap.

 

 

Council Releases Latest "Characteristics Of New Ratepayers"  2006/2007 Survey

(21/6/08 - E)  Confirms people still come here because it is rural, and also that some of the things they want in their rural paradise will make it a suburb

This document is available from Council's website at www.mrsc.vic.gov.au.

 

MRRA Says:

 

We aren't quite sure who is being counted as 'new residents' but it seems to include people who are moving around within the Shire (i.e. who already live here but change residential address).

 

There is a snippet of information about population growth at the front of the report.  The Shire's growth rate has dropped from an average of +2.0% per annum between 1996 and 2001, to +1.2% between 2001 and 2006.  The report then tells us something MRRA and quite a number of residents already knew. 

Between 2001 and 2006 greatest growth in the Shire has occurred in Gisborne (3.9% per annum) but Romsey (3.7% per annum) and Riddells Creek (3.0% per annum) are only a little way behind (ABS 2006 census).  These three towns account for 94% of growth in towns and 76% of Shire growth.  Thus almost all growth in population is occurring in the south and south east of the Shire, in the towns closest to Melbourne.

That high growth in Gisborne is probably the result of developers having the town by the throat back in 2003/2004, when Gisborne residents were outraged by the mountain of cheap, suburban subdivision applications and approvals (not least by VCAT) that overwhelmed the town. 

 

It was a signal moment, because at that time the developers' fever for more and more squeezy lots pointed to Gisborne becoming the "Black Hole of Calcutta", bursting at the seams with a surfeit of people.  Sadly for many of those developers, their greed cut their own throats.  There were so many nasty, over-priced lots that replicated Melbourne instead of reflecting Gisborne, the over-supply of what people don't want soon saw impoverished developers struggling to sell them, and having to build spekkie Melbourne-style houses on the lots in the hope that would move them.  As you do.  And it's only going to get worse with higher petrol prices.  We could commiserate with the developers, but we wouldn't mean it.

 

 

Latest Community Satisfaction Survey Of Council's Performance Should Start Bells Ringing On Parking and Planning - Alarm Bells!

(10/6/06 - C)  The survey shows Council made slight improvements in Customer Contact and Health and Human Services but Macedon Ranges' residents have said they don't like what's happening in other areas with satisfaction levels slumping to 43% for planning, 54% for community engagement, 46% for local roads and footpaths, and 59% for traffic management and parking.

The 2005/2006 Community Satisfaction Survey for Macedon Ranges was released at Wednesday's Finance and Operations committee meeting.  Council made small performance gains (+1%) over last year in only two areas: Customer Contact (69%) and Health and Human Services (70%).  Enforcement of By-Laws stayed the same (62%).  Overall Performance (58%), Appearance of Public Areas (65%) and Economic Development (55%) all dropped 1%.  Community Engagement (54%), Local Roads and Footpaths (46%) and Waste Management (64%) all fell 2%.  Recreational Facilities (64%) went down 3% while Advocacy (57%) and Traffic Management and Parking tumbled by 4%.  But the winning ticket for biggest drop (and lowest score) was Town Planning Policy and Approvals (43%), which plummeted by 5% from last years unstunning performance.  Click here to see an overview of survey results, or go to Council's website (www.mrsc.vic.gov.au) and download the full report.

 

MRRA Says:

How bad is planning in Macedon Ranges? 

 

In this survey, our Shire is included in the 'Large Rural Shires' group.  For that group, Macedon Ranges came in at 43% satisfaction rating, and the lowest rating for the entire group was also 43% - so we can assume Macedon Ranges had the lowest rating.  Here's the punch line:  Also in the Large Rural Shires group is Glenelg Shire.  Yep, the Shire that last year had its planning powers frozen and was under investigation by the Federal Police and the Victorian Auditor General.

 

Community satisfaction with planning in Macedon Ranges is either lower than, or at best, equal to, that in Glenelg Shire. 

 

The area identified by the Macedon Ranges community as needing the most improvement is 'better policies', although if all of the categories that together relate to dissatisfaction with bad outcomes and Council not listening to the community are added together, they get the biscuit.

 

And all the while, the State government keeps telling us there's nothing wrong, or it will not 'usurp' our democratically elected Council, or that 'doing the work' will fix everything.  Sure...

 

 

Council's 'New Residents' Survey and Report Produces Some Surprise Results

(10/6/06 - C)   Why they come here isn't a surprise: rural lifestyle and natural beauty wins hands down.

A report about new residents coming to Macedon Ranges, prepared by Dr. Lorraine Beyer of Council's Social Planning Unit, has produced some interesting findings.  Rural lifestyle and natural beauty were well ahead as reasons why people choose to live/purchase here.  Closeness to Melbourne was well back in 3rd place followed by being near friends and family.  Here's where the surprises started:  affordability and good investment came in at 6th and equal 7th, and even more surprisingly, tree change and retirement followed at equal 7th and 8th.  Adults with no children comprised 67% of new residents, but only 14% relied on pensions. Another surprise was 72% had lived in a rural area before, and 47% have bought a house on more than 0.5 hectares (1 acre) while 8% went for a flat or unit.  Only 45% said they or someone in their household will commute to Melbourne and 51% said they at best would only travel to Melbourne occasionally.  Over a third of survey participants said they planned to use public transport to get to some services in the Shire, even more said they planned to walk, and only 20% said they would use services for children between 0 - 11.

 

MRRA has not been able to find the report on Council's website but anyone wanting more information can contact Council's Community Planning Unit or try Angie Laussel, Manager Community Development, on 03 5427 8249.

 

 

Council Asks "What Do You Value?" In Update Newsletter Survey

(15/5/06 - C)  Get your two-bob's worth in by completing the survey and sending it back to Council ASAP

Just a brief alert to remind residents to make sure you fill in the survey sheet in the May 2006 Macedon Ranges' Update magazine, being delivered to all Shire households now.  Council is asking for your views on what you most value about living in this area.  It's an opportunity too good to miss, so go to it!   If you need a copy of Update, contact Council on 5422 0333.