Satisfaction with Council services high in South Taranaki

The majority of South Taranaki residents are happy with the services the council provides according to an independent survey.

The Research First survey of 440 residents across all five South Taranaki wards found that 93% of residents were happy with the overall service the Council provides, while 5% were not satisfied. 85% of those surveyed also felt the Council was moving in the right direction with 9% disagreeing and 6% were unable to comment.

83% of residents were also satisfied with the way rates are spent on services and facilities provided by the Council (the same as last year's result), while 14% were not very satisfied and 3% did not know.

The survey, which has been conducted regularly since 1993, allows the South Taranaki District Council (STDC) to assess its performance by finding out from residents what they think the Council is doing well and areas where they could do better.

Council services and facilities which residents were most satisfied with were the district’s libraries (98%), the tidiness and maintenance of cemeteries (97%), parks, reserves and playgrounds (97%), halls (93%) and the kerbside rubbish and recycling service (94%).

The services that had the lowest satisfaction rates were the condition of roads (69% satisfaction) and footpaths (75% satisfaction) and the control of animals (78% satisfaction).

Council CEO, Waid Crockett, says he is pleased with the results of the survey however the Council is always looking to improve the service it provides.

“We don’t always get it right but I know how passionately our staff work for the people of South Taranaki and we are continually looking at ways we can lift the bar in terms of performance,” he says. “But it is good to know that most people think we are moving in the right direction and understand we are trying to provide the best for our communities with the resources we have.”

The district wide survey was conducted using random selection method by independent research company Research First over February and March 2020.

The survey results can be found here.