Mildura Council targets new engagement as satisfaction dives

MILDURA Rural City Council’s chiefs have vowed to improve service standards after dozens of survey results showed community satisfaction levels had fallen across the board since 2017.

The alarming trend is clear in the council’s 235-page 2019-20 annual report, which was tabled at a meeting this week.

It shows the council’s rating out of seven had consistently dropped in 57 of 66 performance categories over the past four years.

The biggest falls in community satisfaction levels came in relation to waste management, major events, encouragement and growth of businesses, and tourism services.

Council chief executive Sarah Philpott said senior staff would be “working with the new council on a new community engagement policy and approach”.

“Revising our community vision will include a comprehensive engagement process to determine what the future of our region should be,” Ms Philpott said.

“(We’ll also be) continuing to improve our approaches to customer experience, business improvement and reducing red tape, (as well as) focusing on strategic communications to improve how we connect with community.”

Mayor Jason Modica said the latest survey had to be put in the context of being “conducted at a time of some volatility”.

“(It took place) in the middle of a global pandemic, in the lead-up to a (local government) election, while council was just introducing a major service change and wrestling with a complex budget,” Cr Modica said.

“Despite these factors, we were obviously disappointed with the results this year, which did show an overall drop in satisfaction across most indicators.”

Deputy mayor Helen Healy said the survey results were “cause for concern”.

“When I saw we only had 480 responses out of a potential 30,000 to these (latest) surveys, it immediately sent all sorts of red flags,” she said.

“Why don’t we have thousands of people respond?”

Cr Healy floated the idea of the council running a regular “citizens’ assembly”.

“You’d get 25 community members together, who have been briefed on how policy works, and put together a joint contribution from this assembly,” she said.

“Right now there is a survey on council’s website about footpaths. So, rather than just advertise that there is a survey there, a citizens’ assembly would be targeting specific users of footpaths.

“We’d target someone to represent school groups, a wheelchair group, someone with a vision impairment and someone from a different cultural background who doesn’t go out very often, among others.

“This gives the community direct input into solving problems and planning for the future, rather than just individuals filling out a survey.

“This is real community engagement.”

Cr Stefano de Pieri said the council needed to “uncover the reasons for the community’s dissatisfaction”.

“It is very disappointing to see these survey results, but all of the new councillors – as well as the returning ones – are already working together to make some positive changes,” he said.

“We will expect the council staff to be very co-operative as we go about trying to make the necessary improvements.

“The complaints from the community are usually done after the horse has bolted. My intention is to see what’s happening before the horse has bolted.”

Cr Ian Arney said he was “well aware” of community dissatisfaction with a range of the council’s services.

“We have five new councillors elected on the premise that they want to see change for the better – and this services issue goes to the heart of why we’re here,” he said.