Resident's Survey

Related links

Annual poll of public opinion

Council runs public opinion surveys by telephone every year over a three year cycle. Year one's survey is on most of Council's activites e.g. water supply, parks, solid waste management and libraries. Year two focuses on democracy and administration and the environment. Year three's survey is about community wellbeing including safety, health and if people can call on their neighbours in times of trouble.

The 2006 focused on community wellbeing. The 2007 survey is in touch with residents about main Council activities. The 2008 survey focuses on Council performance and activities

What the information used for

Public opinion surveys help the Council gauge how well the community supports its direction and priorities. Regular surveys are also a good way of checking progress towards common goals. Information from the surveys is used in preparing long term plans for the different Council divisions.

The Council has been using surveys since 1997 to measure public satisfaction with its work.

How it's done

Researchers are commissioned to carry out the surveys. In 2006, for example, 400 people were selected at random and interviewed on the phone.

While surveys are not the only source of feedback from the community, they ensure a broad spectrum of opinion is received and reflect general public opinion and trends. A random selection of participants also guarantees that most interests in the community are represented ― young people, families and older residents, and people from all neighbourhoods of the city.

Contact

Manager Strategy and Planning +64 3 546 0364.