THE first of the four surveys to gauge public satisfaction with the performance of Mornington Peninsula Shire Council starts this week and will be completed by the end of the month.
The mayor Cr Steve Holland said quarterly surveys would provide the shire with “more timely feedback”.
Results of the four surveys commissioned by the shire will form the basis for the annual review of municipalities made on behalf of the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions.
A “review of methodologies” has seen the shire hire Metropolis Research to conduct the four “community satisfaction surveys”.
The decision by shire directors and CEO John Baker follows two consecutive annual surveys which rated the shire at an “all time low” when it came to how its performance was perceived by residents.
The quarterly surveys of 400 interviews with a “representative sample of residents” will cost $119,350 (“Shire hires ‘satisfaction’ survey team” The News 4/7/23).
Holland was critical of the article which reported that the shire was being criticised online that week for clearing fruit trees growing outside a Mount Eliza cafe; a large overhead neon sign in Mornington; the revamping and reduction in parking spaces at several foreshore car parks; and the trial of paid parking at three foreshore car parks.
“By repeating the criticisms without qualification, you are further propagating the view that the criticism was warranted and appropriately directed at the shire. To do so in an article about community satisfaction only serves to further damage the shire’s reputation and standing in the community,” Holland said.
“Why would you say the above without providing the facts? The fruit trees were planted on public land without a permit and the shire worked with the owner to rectify the issue. The council objected to the billboard in Mornington but was overruled by VCAT … [and] the reduction of car parks at the foreshore in Blairgowrie is being proposed by the Whitecliffs Committee of Management, not the council.” Holland did not mention the paid parking trial.
The annual surveys which have shown dissatisfaction with the shire’s performance were based on 800 interviews and rated the shire alongside 67 or the state’s 79 municipalities.
“There are two providers in Victoria for this survey, and following a review of methodologies, we decided to switch our provider from JWS Research to Metropolis Research,” Holland said.
He said the quarterly surveys “also gives us a larger sample size and allows for more open-ended questions to give us a deeper understanding of the key issues impacting community satisfaction”.
“The questions are determined by the company in alignment with the state government’s requirements.”
He said the decision to switch survey companies and timing was “made by the organisation and signed off by our CEO, John Baker. Councillors were informed about this change”.
“This is simply a new provider using a slightly different methodology to do the same annual survey,” he said.
“The senior leadership team, which includes directors and the CEO, made the decision because it is an operational decision and falls within their sphere of responsibility. Councillors were consulted before the decision was made.
“Although the state government co-ordinates the survey and compels our participation, it does not provide funding to cover the costs. This is another example of cost shifting.”
The two latest annual surveys by JWS Research showed the shire’s overall performance declining two years in a row after eight years of “stability” (“Shire again misses survey satisfaction” The News 21/6/23).
While perceptions of performance by councils had dropped throughout Victoria, Mornington Peninsula was statistically “significantly lower” than the state average.
The latest survey found the shire’s top performing areas were art centres and libraries; waste management; and recreational facilities. Its lowest performing areas were unsealed roads; planning and building permits; and sealed local roads.
Customer service was “on par” with other “interface” municipalities: Casey, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.
JWS Research recommended that over the next 12 months the shire should focus on improving its performance in the areas that had the most influence on “perceptions of overall performance”.
“Improved communication and transparency with residents about decisions made in the community’s interest, particularly on its approach to town planning and the condition of streets and sealed roads, are warranted,” the JWS Research report stated.
“This, in conjunction with consulting with residents and keeping them well-informed on key local issues, [will] help shore up perceptions of council’s overall performance.
“When it comes to making decisions in the community’s interest, and sealed local roads, council performs significantly below the group average. Council performs below the state-wide average on more individual service areas than those it is in line with.”
The report said perceptions of the shire’s performance had “largely deteriorated” over the previous 12 months.
“This is primarily driven by significant declines among women and those living in the Briars, Seawinds and Cerberus wards. In many service areas, performance ratings among these residents are the lowest to date.
“Restoring positive perceptions among these cohorts, and a continued focus on customer service, will be key.”
First published in the Mornington News – 11th July 2023
