George Town Report FINAL
A REPORT ON RESIDENTS’ SATISFACTION WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN GEORGE TOWN
Prepared for the
George Town Council
by Enterprise Marketing & Research Services Pty. Ltd., 60 Main Road, Moonah, 7009. December, 2006.
This Report has been prepared by Enterprise Marketing and Research Services Pty. Ltd., 60 Main Road, Moonah, 7009. All inquiries should be addressed to Tony Hocking Senior Consultant EMRS PO Box 402 Moonah TAS 7009
Phone: (03) 62 111 222 Fax: (03) 62 111 219 E-mail: [email protected]
Table of Contents Summary of the Results ........................................................................................... 1 Summary Table 1 – Average Importance of the Nine Service Areas ..............................1 Summary Table 2 – Satisfaction with Council Services in the Nine Service Areas ............2 Section One – Introduction ...................................................................................... 4 1.1 Purpose..............................................................................................................4 1.2 The Sample ........................................................................................................4 1.3 What We Did ........................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. 1.4 Measuring Importance .........................................................................................5 1.5 Measuring Satisfaction with a Service Area .............................................................5 1.6 Measuring Overall Satisfaction ..............................................................................5 1.7 The People Interviewed and their Dealings with the Local Council .............................6 1.8 Structure of the Report ........................................................................................6 Section Two – Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions ........... 7 Table 2.1 – The Importance of Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions ...............................................................................................................7 Table 2.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Service in Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions.........................................................7 Figure 2 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Service in Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions..........................................8 Section Three – Planning and Development ............................................................ 9 Table 3.1 – The Importance of Local Government Planning and Development Processes (2001)...................................................................................................................9 Table 3.2 – Community Satisfaction with Local Government Planning and Development Processes ..............................................................................................................9 Figure 3 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Service with Respect to Local Government Planning and Development Processes ...........................10 Section Four – Roads, Footpaths and Traffic ......................................................... 11 Table 4.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Roads, Footpaths and Traffic .................................................................................................................11
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
Table 4.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Roads, Footpaths and Traffic..............................................................................11 Figure 4 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Roads, Footpaths and Traffic..................................................................12 Section Five – Waste Management ........................................................................ 13 Table 5.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Waste Management ...13 Table 5.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Waste Management ..........................................................................................13 Figure 5 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Waste Management ..............................................................................14 Section Six – Social and Community Services........................................................ 15 Table 6.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Social and Community Services...............................................................................................................15 Table 6.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Social and Community Services ..........................................................................15 Figure 6 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Social and Community Services ..............................................................16 Section Seven – Community Health and Safety ..................................................... 17 Table 7.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Community Health and Safety .................................................................................................................17 Table 7.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Community Health and Safety ............................................................................17 Figure 7 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Community Health and Safety ................................................................18 Section Eight – Water and Sewerage ..................................................................... 19 Table 8.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Water and Sewerage..19 Table 8.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Water and Sewerage .........................................................................................19 Figure 8 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Water and Sewerage.............................................................................20 Section Nine – Recreation and Cultural Facilities and Programs ........................... 21
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
Table 9.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Recreational and Cultural Facilities and Programs..........................................................................................21 Table 9.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Recreational and Cultural Facilities and Programs .................................................21 Figure 9 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Recreational and Cultural Facilities and Programs .....................................22 Section Ten – Customer Service............................................................................. 23 Table 10.1 – The Importance of Customer Service from Your Local Council .................24 Table 10.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Customer Service from your Local Council ................................................................................................................24 Figure 10 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Customer Service..................................................................................25 Section Eleven – Overall Satisfaction with the Council’s Performance.................. 26 Table 11.1 – Average Importance of the Nine Areas .................................................26 Table 11.2 – Satisfaction With Council Services in the Nine Areas...............................27 Table 11.3 – Community Satisfaction with the Performance of George Town Council ....27 Table 11.4 – Overall Satisfaction of Council’s Performance by Age Group ....................28 Section Twelve – Suggestions for Improvement ................................................... 29 Table 12.1 – Areas Most in Need of Improvement ....................................................29 Section Thirteen – Comparisons with the LGAT Survey ......................................... 30 Table 13.1 – The Comparison of Importance Scores Provided by George Town Residents and those from the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Survey.....................31 Table 13.2 – The Comparison of Average Satisfaction Scores Provided by George Town Residents and those from the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Survey of 1240 Residents.....................................................................................................32 Table 13.3 – Areas Most in Need of Improvement - The Comparison of Answers Given by George Town Residents and those from the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Survey of 1240 Residents ......................................................................................33 Appendix A – Demographics of the Sample ........................................................... 38 Appendix B – The Questionnaire ............................................................................ 35
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
1
Summary of the Results The purpose of the research was to provide a snapshot of the satisfaction residents of the George Town Council area have with the services provided by the Council.
Nine areas of council services had previously been defined and within these areas some 31 distinctive service areas were identified.
400 George Town residents were interviewed by telephone in late November and early December 2006. They were selected from across the municipality.
Residents’ views of the importance of each service have been measured together with their satisfaction with respect to the services.
Summary Table 1 – Average Importance of the Nine Service Areas Number of Elements
Average Importance Score %
Waste management
4
93
Roads, footpaths and traffic
3
91
Customer service by the Council
7
91
Community health and safety
3
90
Planning and development
1
88
Water and sewerage
3
88
Social and community services
2
88
Informing residents about Council activities and decisions
3
85
Recreational and cultural facilities and programs
5
84
Service Area
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
2
Summary Table 2 – Satisfaction with Council Services in the Nine Service Areas Number of Elements
Average Satisfaction Score %
Customer service
7
79
Water and sewerage
3
76
Community health and safety
3
73
Social and community services
2
67
Waste management
4
66
Recreational and cultural facilities and programs
5
66
Roads, footpaths and traffic
3
60
Informing residents about Council activities & decisions
3
59
Planning and development
1
58
31
67
Arena
Average Satisfaction with Council’s Performance
Average satisfaction for George Town obtained by aggregating the scores for each of the 9 customer service areas was 67%.
Areas with the highest level of customer satisfaction were “the standards of customer service provided by the Council”, “water and sewerage” and “community health and safety”.
The lowest levels of satisfaction were recorded for “planning and development”, “informing residents about Council activities and decisions” and “roads, footpaths and traffic”.
“Roads, footpaths and traffic” was identified by 26% of residents as the area greatest in need of improvement. 11% saw no area as needing improvement.
A snapshot survey was also conducted for the Local Government Association of Tasmania just previous to the survey for the George Town Council using an identical questionnaire. Overall satisfaction for local government services across Tasmania stood at 69% compared with 67% for George Town.
When a single question asking for overall satisfaction with George Town Council’s performance was put towards the end of the survey, the satisfaction level increased to 68%. The state wide satisfaction level was 72%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Average Importance and Weighted Satisfaction Scores 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55
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4
Section One – Introduction 1.1 Purpose The purpose of the research was to administer a structured questionnaire to a representative sample of the residents of the George Town Municipality and to measure the levels of satisfaction with Council in its performance of services.
1.2 The Sample The sample has involved interviewing 400 residents. Broad quotas have been applied to ensure that the Council area is represented in a way that reflects the profile of the resident population.
Quotas have also been imposed to keep the overall “shape” of the sample so that the demographics reflect the make up of the adult population of the Municipality.
The demographics of the sample are summarised in Appendix A.
1.3 Methodology Interviewing was conducted in November/December 2006 using LGAT’s structured questionnaire. Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) was used. The questionnaire is Appendix B to this Report.
The LGAT questionnaire was also used to survey 1240 adults across Tasmania to provide a Tasmania wide snapshot against which results from the George Town survey can be compared.
While the LGAT survey provides a broad understanding of satisfaction in council areas across the state, some council areas chose to commission additional surveys targeting residents in the area. This allows for reliable conclusions to be drawn about the community as a whole and to compare these findings with those of the rest of Tasmania. As is the case in the George Town survey, some council’s also chose to add area-specific questions to their independent survey.
This survey explores the George Town residents’ satisfaction with a range of services provided by Council and also the importance they attached to each of the service elements.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
5 The types of services were divided into 9 areas spanning the 3 broad divisions of property services, community services and interaction with the Council. In all, some 31 elements were included in these 9 areas ranging from “household garbage collection” to “access to Councillors”.
1.4 Measuring Importance The importance residents attached to each of the 31 service elements was assessed after asking each resident to “score” the importance of the service element from 1 to 5, where 1 represented “not important at all” and 5 was “very important”. All participants gave an importance score for each element.
Two importance measures are given. The first is the percentage of respondents that have given a score of “4” or “5” out of 5 for each element. The second is an average importance score recorded from all respondents for that particular element.
1.5 Measuring Satisfaction with a Service Area Residents were asked to measure the performance of Council with respect to the 31 elements by, once again, giving them a score of between 1 and 5, where 1 is “very dissatisfied” and 5 is “very satisfied”.
Not all participants were able to give a satisfaction score for all elements. This was usually because a service was not relevant to them. Satisfaction scores are converted into percentages. The percentage score for each element is the average of the scores provided by all people who felt able to give a score for that service.
The scores for each element in an area have then been averaged to give a score for that area. For example, the area “waste management” contains 4 elements and the scores for each have been averaged to give an average score for waste management.
1.6 Measuring Overall Satisfaction Overall satisfaction is a measure of how satisfied residents are with the level of satisfaction with the 9 areas and the 31 elements in those 9 areas taken as a whole.
Residents attach different levels of importance to each of the areas and this is reflected in their overall satisfaction. The average importance scores for each area is used as a means of ensuring that areas residents consider more important are given due weight.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
6
1.7 The People Interviewed and their Dealings with the Local Council 83% of those interviewed were ratepayers.
84% had lived in the local area for at least 6 years and 58% for more than 20 years.
68% had had direct dealings with Council in person, by phone or in writing within the last 12 months. 9% had never had any direct dealings with their local Council.
Of those who had contacted the Council in the last 12 months, 75% had made contact in person, 18% had used the telephone and 5% had written to the Council. 4 (1%) had made contact via email. One had contacted the Council via fax.
1.8 Structure of the Report The remainder of the Report is divided into 11 main sections. Each of the Sections 2 to 10 is devoted to one of the 9 areas of Council services. It contains both importance and satisfaction scores for each of the elements that make up an area.
Section 11 deals with the overall level of satisfaction with local government services in Tasmania using the results of the earlier sections and checks this against the answer to a single question,
How satisfied are you with your Council’s performance, overall? Section 12 compares the importance and performance scores for George Town with the Tasmania wide survey of 1240 respondents conducted at the same time for the Local Government Association of Tasmania.
Section 13 explores the views of residents about the areas of Council involvement where improvement is most needed.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Section Two – Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions This area consists of 3 elements, Informing Council residents about Council activities and decisions, eg. brochures,
publications, newspapers and media releases, Involving residents in local decision making, and Access to Councillors.
Table 2.1 – The Importance of Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
Informing Council residents about Council activities and decisions, eg. brochures, publications, newspapers, media releases Involving residents in local decision making
75
84
86
88
Access to Councillors
78
84
-
85
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 2.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Service in Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Satisfaction Score %
Informing Council residents about Council activities and decisions, eg. brochures, publications, newspapers, media release Involving residents in local decision making
31
60
23
54
Access to Councillors
37
64
-
59
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Figure 2 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Service in Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
Informing Residents
Involving Residents Access to Councillors
Importance
Satisfaction
The lowest satisfaction score was for “involving residents in local decision making”. It was also the element that residents attached the greatest importance to. Overall, the importance of the area was the 2nd lowest of the 9 areas at 85%. Satisfaction was also the 2nd lowest of the areas at 59%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
9
Section Three – Planning and Development This Section consists of only one element of Local Government service, Consistent and appropriate planning and development.
Table 3.1 – The Importance of Local Government Planning and Development Processes Element Consistent and appropriate planning and development
% scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
86
88
Table 3.2 – Community Satisfaction with Local Government Planning and Development Processes Element Consistent and appropriate planning and development
% scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
29
58
6% of residents had not had any experiences and were unable to provide a satisfaction score for this area.
Despite this, 65% gave a score of less than 4 out of 5.
This area attracted the lowest satisfaction score out of all 9 areas at 58%. In importance it was the equal 5th most important area out of 9 at 88%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Figure 3 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Service with Respect to Local Government Planning and Development Processes
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
Consistent and Appropriate Planning & Development Importance
Satisfaction
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
11
Section Four – Roads, Footpaths and Traffic This area consists of 3 elements, Safe and well-maintained roads, Safe and well-maintained pedestrian areas, eg. footpaths and walkways, and An efficient local road network, ie. traffic flow.
Table 4.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Roads, Footpaths and Traffic % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
Safe and well-maintained local roads
93
94
Safe and well-maintained pedestrian areas, eg. footpaths and walkways An efficient local road network, ie. traffic flow
88
90
85
88
-
91
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 4.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Roads, Footpaths and Traffic % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Safe and well-maintained local roads
27
54
Safe and well-maintained pedestrian areas, eg., footpaths and walkways An efficient local road network ie. traffic flow
28
56
51
70
-
60
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
“Roads, footpaths and traffic” was the area with the equal 2nd highest importance score at 91%. It also recorded the 3rd lowest satisfaction score of all areas.
The average satisfaction score was 60% with “safe and well maintained local roads” and “safe and well maintained pedestrian areas” scoring 54% and 56% respectively.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Figure 4 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Roads, Footpaths and Traffic
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45
Safe & Well Maintained Local Roads
Pedestrian Areas
Importance
Efficient Local Road Network
Satisfaction
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
13
Section Five – Waste Management This area consists of 4 elements, Household garbage collection, Recycling services including kerbside recycling and depots, Operation of local tip and waste transfer stations, and Maintaining a clean city or town including public rubbish bins.
Table 5.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Waste Management % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
Household garbage collection
94
94
Recycling services including kerbside recycling and depots
92
92
Operation of local tip and waste transfer stations
86
90
Maintaining a clean city or town including public rubbish bins
94
94
-
93
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 5.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Waste Management % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Household garbage collection
43
60
Recycling services including kerbside recycling and depots
51
68
Operation of local tip and waste transfer stations
42
64
Maintaining a clean city or town including public rubbish bins
55
72
-
66
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Figure 5 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Waste Management
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
Household Garbage Collection
Recycling
Importance
Tip & Waste Transfer Stations
Tidy Towns
Satisfaction
This area was the highest in importance with a score of 93%. It scored 5th for resident satisfaction at 66%. Satisfaction household garbage collection was lowest at 60%. “Maintaining a clean and tidy town” scored highest of the elements at 72%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Section Six – Social and Community Services This area consisted of only 2 elements, Services and programs provided by Council for particular sections of the
community, such as elderly, people with disabilities, young people and children’s services, indigenous and ethnic members of the community, and Council support for other groups and organisations.
Table 6.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Social and Community Services Element
% scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
91
90
81
86
-
88
Services and programs provided by Council for particular sections of the community, such as elderly, people with disabilities, young people and children’s services, indigenous and ethnic members of the community Council support for other groups and organisations Average Importance Score
Table 6.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Social and Community Services Element
% scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
40
68
36
66
-
67
Services and programs provided by Council for particular sections of the community, such as elderly, people with disabilities, young people and children’s services, indigenous and ethnic members of the community Council support for other groups and organisations Average Satisfaction Score
This area was the equal 5th highest in importance to residents. 12-14% were not prepared to give a satisfaction score for these elements. Overall satisfaction score was 4th highest at 67%. Importance was scored at 88%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Figure 6 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Social and Community Services 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
Services & Programs for Sections of the Community Importance
Support for Other Groups
Satisfaction
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Section Seven – Community Health and Safety This area consists of three diverse elements, Hygiene standards of food outlets, restaurants and public facilities, Council immunisation programs, and Dog control.
Table 7.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Community Health and Safety % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
Hygiene standards of food outlets, restaurants and public facilities Council immunisation programs
95
94
84
88
Dog control
84
88
-
90
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 7.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Community Health and Safety % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Hygiene standards of food outlets, restaurants and public facilities Council immunisation programs
65
76
42
80
Dog control
39
64
-
73
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
The overall importance score was 90%, highest for the “hygiene standards of food outlets, restaurants and public facilities” at 94%. Community health and safety was regarded as the 4th most important of the 9 areas. The satisfaction score was 3rd highest at 73%. Satisfaction was lowest for “dog control”.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Figure 7 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Community Health and Safety
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
Hygiene
Immunisation Programs Importance
Satisfaction
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
Dog Control
19
Section Eight – Water and Sewerage This area also consists of 3 elements, Standard of water supply, eg. water quality, pressure, Sewerage removal and treatment, and Stormwater and flood control.
Table 8.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Water and Sewerage % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
Standard of water supply, eg. water quality, pressure
90
90
Sewerage removal and treatment
86
88
Stormwater and flood control
83
86
-
88
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 8.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Water and Sewerage % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Standard of water supply, eg. water quality, pressure
52
74
Sewerage removal and treatment
60
82
Stormwater and flood control
47
72
-
76
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
Importance scores averaged 88% for all elements giving this area a rating of equal 5th most important of the 9 service areas. The satisfaction score of 76% placed this at 2nd among the 9 areas.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
20
Figure 8 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Water and Sewerage
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
Standard of Water Supply
Sewerage Removal & Treatment
Importance
Stormwater & Flood Control
Satisfaction
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
21
Section Nine – Recreation and Cultural Facilities and Programs This area consists of 5 elements, Sportsgrounds and cultural facilities, Parks and playgrounds, Community centres and halls, Art and entertainment facilities, and Art and entertainment activities – including special events.
Table 9.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Recreational and Cultural Facilities and Programs % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score%
Sportsgrounds and cultural facilities – indoor and outdoor
83
86
Parks and playgrounds
88
90
Community centres and halls
84
86
Art and entertainment facilities – including museums and art galleries Art and entertainment activities and special events
67
78
71
80
-
84
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 9.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Recreational and Cultural Facilities and Programs % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Sportsgrounds and cultural facilities – indoor and outdoor
46
70
Parks and playgrounds
42
66
Community centres and halls
44
68
Art and entertainment facilities – including museums and art galleries Art and entertainment activities and special events
30
62
39
66
-
66
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
22
Figure 9 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Recreational and Cultural Facilities and Programs
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55
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This was judged to be the least important of the 9 areas, reflecting the failure of some activities to appeal to the whole community. The importance of the area was scored at 84%. The satisfaction score was moderate at 66%, equal 5th highest of the areas. The highest satisfaction score of 70% given for “sports grounds and cultural facilities”.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Section Ten – Customer Service Of the 400 respondents, 50% last had direct dealings with the Council within the last 3 months, 11% 3 to 6 months ago, 8% 6 to 12 months ago and 21% more than 12 months ago. 9% said they had never had direct dealings with the Council and 2% could not recall the last time they had dealings with the Council.
Of those who had made contact in the last 12 months, 75% had done so in person, 18% by telephone, 5% in writing, 4 (1%) had made contact via email and 1 person via fax.
Of those who had initiated contact, common issues they had contacted the Council about included, Rates or taxes (23%), Building or planning inquiries (18%), Bills or fines (13%), Water or sewerage (8%), Dog registration or information (6%), Town meetings or community consultation (6%), Roads, footpaths or traffic (5%), Waste management issues (3%), Trimming or maintaining vegetation (3%), Cultural and recreational programs (3%), Community health and safety (3%), Community car (1%), and George Town show (1%).
All respondents were then asked questions regarding the importance of customer service provided by the Council and their satisfaction with the service received. This area consists of 7 elements, The politeness and friendliness of staff, Their professional attitude and presentation, Overall handling and response to your inquiry, Convenient opening hours, Physical access to Council buildings (eg. ramps, railings and stairs), Access to Council Information (eg. by phone, Council offices, telephone), and Access to Council staff.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Table 10.1 – The Importance of Customer Service from Your Local Council % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
Friendliness and politeness of staff
95
94
Professional attitude and presentation
95
92
Overall handling and response to the inquiry
94
94
Convenient opening hours
86
88
Physical access to Council buildings, eg. ramps, railings and stairs Access to Council information, eg. at Council offices, by phone or via the internet Access to Council staff
88
90
86
90
86
88
-
91
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 10.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Customer Service from Your Local Council % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Friendliness and politeness of staff
75
80
Professional attitude and presentation
73
80
Overall handling and response to the inquiry
64
74
Convenient opening hours
76
84
Physical access to Council buildings, eg. ramps, railings and stairs Access to Council information, eg. at Council offices, by phone or via the internet Access to Council staff
79
86
60
76
57
74
-
79
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
The area of Customer Service recorded the highest satisfaction scores of the nine areas at 79%. Satisfaction scores for 4 of the 7 areas were at least 80%. This was scored at equal 2nd highest for importance at 91%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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Figure 10 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Customer Service 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55
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Importance
Satisfaction
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
26
Section Eleven – Overall Satisfaction with the Council’s Performance Each of the 9 areas, and the elements that go to make up each of them, is important in its own right. However, there is also interest in obtaining an overall satisfaction score for Council’s services as a whole.
Table 11.1 – Average Importance of the Nine Areas Number of Elements
Average Importance Score %
Waste management
4
93
Roads, footpaths and traffic
3
91
Customer service by the Council
7
91
Community health and safety
3
90
Planning and development
1
88
Water and sewerage
3
88
Social and community services
2
88
Informing residents about Council activities and decisions
3
85
Recreational and cultural facilities and programs
5
84
Service Area
The importance attached to each of the 9 areas has been expressed as a set of “importance scores” in Table 11.1 and ranked in descending order from most important to least important. They indicate that statewide, residents attach higher importance to “property services” than they do to “community services”. In part, this reflects the fact that they affect nearly everyone in the community rather than groups with particular interests. As mentioned in Section 1.4, aggregating satisfaction in a meaningful way requires more than a simple averaging of the 9 area satisfaction scores. The overall satisfaction score firstly needs to take into account the fact that different numbers of respondents are able to give satisfaction scores for the various elements. Secondly, an adjustment needs to be made to reflect the differences in importance that residents attach to each area. These adjustments have been made in Table 11.2 to produce an “overall satisfaction score”.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
27
Table 11.2 – Satisfaction With Council Services in the Nine Areas Number of Elements
Average Satisfaction Score %
Customer service
7
79
Water and sewerage
3
76
Community health and safety
3
73
Social and community services
2
67
Waste management
4
66
Recreational and cultural facilities and programs
5
66
Roads, footpaths and traffic
3
60
Informing residents about Council activities & decisions
3
59
Planning and development
1
58
31
67
Arena
Average Satisfaction with Council’s Performance
On this occasion the average satisfaction with Council’s performance score is 67%. An independent test of customer satisfaction came from asking,
How satisfied are you with YOUR Council’s performance overall?
Table 11.3 – Community Satisfaction with the Performance of George Town Council Element Overall Satisfaction with Council’s Performance (400 respondents)
% scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
49
68
This overall score for customer satisfaction of 68% compares with the aggregated average of all areas of 67%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
28
Table 11.4 – Overall Satisfaction of Council’s Performance By Age Group % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Under 25 years
36
54
25-34 years
42
64
35-44 years
36
64
45-54 years
44
66
55-69 years
56
70
70 years and over
65
78
Age Group
Satisfaction was highest at 78% among the group of respondents aged 70 and over in the George Town. The average satisfaction with Council’s performance overall increased with the age of respondent.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
29
Section Twelve – Suggestions for Improvement Respondents were asked,
Thinking about the list we’ve gone through, and anything else that comes to mind, what is one area of Council where you think improvement is most needed?
Table 12.1 – Areas Most in Need of Improvement Number Mentioning this Area
% of the Sample
Roads, footpaths and traffic
103
26
Waste management
58
15
Informing residents about Council activities and decisions
48
12
Recreational and cultural facilities and programs
32
8
Planning and development
25
6
Customer service
25
6
Social and community services
20
5
Community health and safety
12
3
Water and sewerage
11
3
None
45
11
Area Where Improvement is Most Needed
“Roads, Footpaths and Traffic” is the area that residents considered most in need of improvement. 26% of residents nominated this area from among the 9 areas. The next most important areas were seen to be “waste management” (15%) and “informing residents about Council activities and decisions” (12%).
11% of residents saw no area as being in need of improvement. Those aged 55 and over were more likely to see nothing in need of improvement.
Very few people saw “water and sewerage” or “community health and safety” as being the area most in need of improvement.
Other areas they mentioned as being in need of improvement were animal control (11 people), the general management of the Council including distribution of funds (7), “lower the rates” (3) and environmental issues – specifically the Pulp Mill (3).
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
30
Section Thirteen – Comparisons with the LGAT Survey As mentioned previously, the questionnaire was also administered to 1240 residents across Tasmania, drawn from the 29 Local Government Areas. This Section compares the scores given by George Town residents with those of the LGAT sample for the 31 elements that made up the 9 areas.
It does so both for importance and residents’ satisfaction.
Finally it compares their assessment of the area most in need of attention.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
31
Table 13.1 – The Comparison of Importance Scores Provided by George Town Residents and those from the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Survey of 1240 Residents Arena
Element
George Town N=400
Informing Residents about Activities and Decisions
Informing residents about Council activities and decisions Involving residents in local decision making Access to Councillors Average for the area Consistent and appropriate planning and development Average for the area Safe and well-maintained local roads Safe and well maintained pedestrian areas An efficient local road network Average for the area Household garbage collection Recycling services including kerbside recycling and depots Operation of local tip and waste transfer situation Maintaining a clean city or town incl. public rubbish bins Average for the area Services for particular sections of the community Council support for other groups and organisations Average for the area Hygiene standards on food outlets Council immunisation programs Dog control Average for the area Quality of the water supply Sewerage removal and treatment Stormwater and flood control Average for the area Sportsgrounds and cultural facilities Parks and playgrounds Community centres and halls Arts and entertainment facilities Arts and entertainment activities Average for the area Friendliness and politeness of staff Professional attitude and presentation Overall handling and response to the inquiry Convenient opening hours Physical access to council buildings Access to Council information Access to Council staff Average for the area
84 88 84 85 88 88 94 90 88 91 94 92 90 94 93 90 86 88 94 88 88 90 90 88 86 88 86 90 86 78 80 84 94 92 94 88 90 90 88 91
Planning and Development Roads, Footpaths and Traffic Waste Management
Social and Community Services Community Health and Safety Water and Sewerage
Recreation and Cultural Facilities
Council Service
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
LGAT N=1240
80 84 80 83 88 88 94 92 90 92 90 90 86 94 90 86 80 83 94 86 86 89 92 90 86 89 84 88 80 74 76 81 96 92 94 86 84 88 86 90
32
Table 13.2 – The Comparison of Average Satisfaction Scores Provided by George Town Residents and those from the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Survey of 1240 Residents Arena
Element
George Town N=400
Informing Residents about Activities and Decisions
Informing residents about Council activities and decisions Involving residents in local decision making Access to Councillors Average for the area Consistent and appropriate planning and development Average for the area Safe and well-maintained local roads Safe and well maintained pedestrian areas An efficient local road network Average for the area Household garbage collection Recycling services including kerbside recycling and depots Operation of local tip and waste transfer situation Maintaining a clean city or town incl. public rubbish bins Average for the area Services for particular sections of the community Council support for other groups and organisations Average for the area Hygiene standards on food outlets Council immunisation programs Dog control Average for the area Quality of the water supply Sewerage removal and treatment Stormwater and flood control Average for the area Sportsgrounds and cultural facilities Parks and playgrounds Community centres and halls Arts and entertainment facilities Arts and entertainment activities Average for the area Friendliness and politeness of staff Professional attitude and presentation Overall handling and response to the inquiry Convenient opening hours Physical access to council buildings Access to Council information Access to Council staff Average for the area
60 54 64 59 58 58 54 56 70 60 60 68 64 72 66 68 66 67 76 80 64 73 74 82 72 76 70 66 68 62 66 66 80 80 74 84 86 76 74 79
Planning and Development Roads, Footpaths and Traffic Waste Management
Social and Community Services Community Health and Safety Water and Sewerage
Recreation and Cultural Facilities
Council Service
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
LGAT N=1240
64 56 64 62 58 58 56 60 64 60 80 76 72 74 76 66 64 65 74 80 68 74 76 80 74 77 74 74 70 66 66 70 84 82 76 84 86 76 76 81
33
Table 13.3 – Areas Most in Need of Improvement – The Comparison of Answers Given by George Town Residents and those from the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Survey of 1240 Residents % of Residents Council N=400
% of Residents Tasmania N=1240
Roads, footpaths and traffic
26
27
Waste management
15
7
Informing residents about Council activities and decisions
12
7
None
11
14
Recreational and cultural facilities and programs
8
5
Planning and development
6
11
Customer service
6
2
Social and community services
5
3
Water and sewerage
3
5
Community health and safety
3
2
Area Where Improvement is Most Needed
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
34
Appendix A – Demographics of the Sample George Town N=400
Sub Group
LGAT N=1240
Age of Respondent Under 25 years 25 and under 35 35 and under 45 45 and under 55 55 and under 70 70 years or over
years years years years
3 10 17 26 31 14
5 12 21 23 26 13
9 12 18 12 31 8 7 3
10 15 22 14 23 8 5 4
28 27 15 25 6
19 26 20 29 6
31 15 5 0 9 40
38 20 2 3 8 29
83 17
85 15
2 3 11 9 18 58
3 4 10 12 21 51
44 56
49 51
Household Situation Single, never married A couple Family with no children over 16 years Family with children over 16 years at home Married, no children still at home Widowed Separated or divorced Sole parent
Household Annual Income Under $20,000 $20,000 and under $40,000 $40,000 and under $60,000 $60,000 and over Declined to provide income
Employment Status Employed full-time Employed part-time Unemployed A student Home duties Retired or on a pension
Ratepayer Status Ratepayer Not a ratepayer
Length of Time in the Council Area Less than 1 year 1-2 years 3-5 years 6-10 years 11-20 years More than 20 years
Gender Male Female
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
35
Appendix B – The Questionnaire Tasmanian Local Councils George Town Community Survey November 2006 Preliminary Data 1. Interview
2. Interviewer
3. Date
4. Phone Number
5. Local Council Area 1. Break O’ Day 2. Brighton 3. Burnie 4. Central Coast 5. Central Highlands 6. Circular Head 7. Clarence 8. Derwent Valley 9. Devonport 10. Dorset 11. Flinders 12. George Town 13. Glamorgan/Spring Bay 14. Glenorchy 15. Hobart
5. Local Council Area 16. Kentish 17. King Island 18. Kingborough 19. Latrobe 20. Launceston 21. Meander Valley 22. North Midlands 23. Sorell 24. South Midlands 25. Tasman 26. Waratah/Wynyard 27. West Coast 28. West Tamar 29. Huonville
7. Town or Suburb
8. Post Code
10. First Name (Validation)
11. Time Commenced
9. Sex of Respondent 1. Male 2. Female
Introductory Statement Good afternoon/evening. My name is……………from the Tasmanian research firm of EMRS, calling on behalf of the George Town Council. We are conducting a survey about the services provided by your Council for its residents. May I please speak to the person living in your household aged 18 years or over who last had a birthday? (NOTE: IF THAT IS NOT THE PERSON TO WHOM YOU ARE SPEAKING, ASK TO SPEAK WITH THAT PERSON, AND IF NOT AVAILABLE, ARRANGE A CALL BACK TIME) REPEAT INTRODUCTION IF NECESSARY. WHEN YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON ASK…….. Would you mind answering some questions about your local Council please? It should take about 10 minutes and I can assure you that this is genuine & confidential research being undertaken on behalf of George Town Council. (IF NOT CONVENIENT, ARRANGE A CALL BACK TIME). IF NECESSARY, REASSURE RESPONDENT THAT THEIR IDENTITY REMAINS CONFIDENTIAL AND THAT RESPONSES ARE COLLATED INTO A SET OF TABLES. COUNCIL WILL NOT KNOW WHO HAS RESPONDED. May I now just check that you are over 18 years and that you live in the (SPECIFY COUNCIL AREA)Council area. IF RESPONDENT IS UNSURE OF COUNCIL AREA, CHECK THE SUBURB AND POSTCODE AND RECORD PLEASE.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
36 SECTION A1 – COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 1. I am now going to read out a list of Council activities, services and programs. I’d like you to think about the importance of each one to you and your satisfaction with the level of service provided for each one. Some may not seem relevant to you but I’ll go through them all just in case. Firstly, I would like you to rate the importance of each attribute on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is not important at all and 5 is very important. Once you have done that I would like you to rate how satisfied you are with Council’s performance on each attribute on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is Very Dissatisfied and 5 is very Satisfied. We will do them in tandem, first importance and 2nd satisfaction. INTERVIEWER: PLEASE RATE IMPORTANCE AND SATISFACTION FOR EACH BEFORE GOING TO THE NEXT ITEM!! MARK 1,2,3,4 OR 5 IN COLUMN A FOR IMPORTANCE AND COLUMN B FOR SATISFACTION Rotate sections A1-A9 and mark with a tick! COLUMN. A = COLUM B = IMPORTANCE SATISFACTION SCORE SCORE ASK, How important to you on a scale of 1-5 is, 1=Not Impt at 1=Very (READ ATTRIBUTE) and how satisfied are you on all dissatisfied a scale of 1 – 5 with Council’s performance 5=Very 5 = Very on….. Important satisfied 1.1 Informing Residents about Councils Activities (e.g., newsletters, brochures, publications, etc.) 1.2 Involving Residents in Local Decision Making 1.3 Access to Councillors A2 – PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT 2.1 Consistent and Appropriate Planning and Development A3 – ROADS, FOOTPATHS & TRAFFIC 3.1 Safe and Well Maintained Roads 3.2 Safe and Well Maintained Pedestrian Areas (eg., footpaths, walkways) 3.3 An Efficient Local Road Network (traffic flow) A4 – WASTE MANAGEMENT COLUMN. A = COLUM B = IMPORTANCE SATISFACTION SCORE SCORE ASK, How important to you on a scale of 1-5 is, 1=Not Impt at 1=Very (READ ATTRIBUTE) and how satisfied are you on all dissatisfied a scale of 1 – 5 with Council’s performance 5=Very 5 = Very on……. Important satisfied 4.1 Household garbage collection 4.2 Recycling services (includes kerbside recycling and depots) 4.3 Operation of local tip and transfer stations 4.4 Maintaining a clean and tidy city/town A5 – SOCIAL & COMMUNITY SERVICES 5.1 Services and Programs Provided by Council for particular sections of the Community. (eg., elderly, disabled, young people, children, indigenous people, ethnic people).
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
37 5.2 Council Support for Other Community Groups and Organisations. (Note: This is close to one above, ask respondent if they can think of one, eg. Sporting clubs, etc.) A6 – COMMUNITY HEALTH & SAFETY 6.1 Hygiene Standards of food outlets, restaurants and public facilities 6.2 Council Immunisation Programs 6.3 Dog Control A7 – WATER AND SEWERAGE 7.1 Standard of Water Supply (water quality and pressure) 7.2 Sewerage Removal and Treatment 7.3 Stormwater and Flood Control A8 – RECREATION, CULTURAL FACILITIES & PROGRAMS 8.1 Sportsgrounds & Recreational Facilities 8.2 Parks and Playgrounds 8.3 Community Centres and Halls 8.4 Arts & Entertainment Facilities (inc. museums and art galleries) 8.5 Arts & Entertainment Activities and Special Events A9 – CUSTOMER SERVICE Now, some questions about customer service, 1. Within the Last 3 months GO TO Q9.2 & CONTINUE THRU TO 9.1 When did you LAST have direct dealings 9.10 with Council, either in person, by telephone or 2. 6-12 months ago GO TO Q9.2 & in writing? CONTINUE THRU TO 9.10 3. More than 12 months ago GO TO Q9.7 4. Never had direct dealings with Council GO TO Q9.7 5. Can’t Recall GO TO Q9.7 9.2 Was that,………… 1. In person In person, 2. By Telephone By telephone 3. In Writing In Writing, 4. Other, (SPECIFY) Other, (specify) 9.3 What was it about? 1……………………………….. …………………………………. …………………………………. …………………………………. ………………………………….
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
38 And now, we would you to rate the importance to you and your satisfaction with the following aspects of Council Customer Service …..
COLUMN. A = IMPORTANCE SCORE
COLUM B = SATISFACTION SCORE
ASK, How important to you on a scale of 1-5 is, 1=Not Impt at 1=Very (READ ATTRIBUTE) and how satisfied are you on all dissatisfied a scale of 1-5 are you with Council’s 5=Very 5 = Very performance on….. Important satisfied 9.4 Staff’s Friendliness & Politeness 9.5 Staff’s Professional Attitude & Presentation 9.6 Staff’s Overall Handling of, and Response to your Inquiry 9.7 Convenience of Opening Hours 9.8 Physical Access to Council Buildings. (eg. Ramps, railings, stairs) 9.9 Access to Council Information (eg. By telephone, at Council Offices and via the Internet) 9.10 Access to Council Staff A10 – OTHER QUESTIONS - GEORGE TOWN 10.1 We would now like to ask you how 1=Very Dissatisfied satisfied you are with Council’s OVERALL 5= Very Satisfied performance on a scale of 1 – 5 where 1= very dissatisfied and 5 = very satisfied, How would 1……2…..3……4……5 you rate your Council? 10.2 Thinking about the list we have just gone through, and anything else that comes to mind, What is the ONE area of Council Involvement where you think improvement is MOST NEEDED?
PLEASE SPECIFY & PROBE FOR FULL INFORMATION 1……………………………….. ………………………………….
And now, just to make sure we have a good representative sample of George Town Council residents, would you mind answering the following questions for us please? 11. Which suburb, or town do you live in please? 1……………………………….. 12. And your postcode?………… 1……………………………….. 13. Are you a Ratepayer of the George Town Council?
1. Yes 2. No
14. How long have you lived in this Council area? Is it……………….
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Less than 1 year 1 – 2 years 3 – 4 years 6 – 10 years 11 – 20 years More than 20 years
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
39 15. Are you……..
16. Which of the following best describes your household? Are you………..
17. Are you………
18. Is your annual household income…….
19. And lastly, may I please have your first name for validation purposes only?
1. 18 and under 25 years 2. 25 and under 40 years 3. 40 and under 55 years 4. 55 and under 70 years 5. 70 and over 6. Declined to answer 1. Single, never married 2. A couple, no children yet 3. Family all children under 6 years 4. Family with children over 16 still at home 5. Married, no children still living at home 6. Widowed 7. Separated or divorced 8. Sole Parent 9. Declined to answer 1. Employed full time 2. Employed part time, casual 3. Unemployed 4. A student 5. Engaged in home duties 6. Retired/on a pension 7. Declined to Answer 1. Under $20,000 2. $20,000 and under $40,000 3. $40,000 and under $60,000 4. $60,000 or over 5. Declined to Answer 1………………………………..
Thank you for helping us. Just to remind you, my name is…………..from the Tasmanian research firm of EMRS and that we have been conducting this survey on behalf of George Town Council and your local Council. If you have any questions about this survey, you can ring my supervisor on 62 111 222. I certify that this questionnaire has been completed fully and accurately according to the professional standards of the Market Research Society of Australia. ………………………………….INTERVIEWER……………………………DATE ………………………………TIME COMPLETED…………………TIME TAKEN
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
Prepared for the
George Town Council
by Enterprise Marketing & Research Services Pty. Ltd., 60 Main Road, Moonah, 7009. December, 2006.
This Report has been prepared by Enterprise Marketing and Research Services Pty. Ltd., 60 Main Road, Moonah, 7009. All inquiries should be addressed to Tony Hocking Senior Consultant EMRS PO Box 402 Moonah TAS 7009
Phone: (03) 62 111 222 Fax: (03) 62 111 219 E-mail: [email protected]
Table of Contents Summary of the Results ........................................................................................... 1 Summary Table 1 – Average Importance of the Nine Service Areas ..............................1 Summary Table 2 – Satisfaction with Council Services in the Nine Service Areas ............2 Section One – Introduction ...................................................................................... 4 1.1 Purpose..............................................................................................................4 1.2 The Sample ........................................................................................................4 1.3 What We Did ........................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. 1.4 Measuring Importance .........................................................................................5 1.5 Measuring Satisfaction with a Service Area .............................................................5 1.6 Measuring Overall Satisfaction ..............................................................................5 1.7 The People Interviewed and their Dealings with the Local Council .............................6 1.8 Structure of the Report ........................................................................................6 Section Two – Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions ........... 7 Table 2.1 – The Importance of Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions ...............................................................................................................7 Table 2.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Service in Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions.........................................................7 Figure 2 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Service in Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions..........................................8 Section Three – Planning and Development ............................................................ 9 Table 3.1 – The Importance of Local Government Planning and Development Processes (2001)...................................................................................................................9 Table 3.2 – Community Satisfaction with Local Government Planning and Development Processes ..............................................................................................................9 Figure 3 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Service with Respect to Local Government Planning and Development Processes ...........................10 Section Four – Roads, Footpaths and Traffic ......................................................... 11 Table 4.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Roads, Footpaths and Traffic .................................................................................................................11
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
Table 4.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Roads, Footpaths and Traffic..............................................................................11 Figure 4 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Roads, Footpaths and Traffic..................................................................12 Section Five – Waste Management ........................................................................ 13 Table 5.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Waste Management ...13 Table 5.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Waste Management ..........................................................................................13 Figure 5 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Waste Management ..............................................................................14 Section Six – Social and Community Services........................................................ 15 Table 6.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Social and Community Services...............................................................................................................15 Table 6.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Social and Community Services ..........................................................................15 Figure 6 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Social and Community Services ..............................................................16 Section Seven – Community Health and Safety ..................................................... 17 Table 7.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Community Health and Safety .................................................................................................................17 Table 7.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Community Health and Safety ............................................................................17 Figure 7 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Community Health and Safety ................................................................18 Section Eight – Water and Sewerage ..................................................................... 19 Table 8.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Water and Sewerage..19 Table 8.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Water and Sewerage .........................................................................................19 Figure 8 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Water and Sewerage.............................................................................20 Section Nine – Recreation and Cultural Facilities and Programs ........................... 21
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
Table 9.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Recreational and Cultural Facilities and Programs..........................................................................................21 Table 9.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Recreational and Cultural Facilities and Programs .................................................21 Figure 9 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Recreational and Cultural Facilities and Programs .....................................22 Section Ten – Customer Service............................................................................. 23 Table 10.1 – The Importance of Customer Service from Your Local Council .................24 Table 10.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Customer Service from your Local Council ................................................................................................................24 Figure 10 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Customer Service..................................................................................25 Section Eleven – Overall Satisfaction with the Council’s Performance.................. 26 Table 11.1 – Average Importance of the Nine Areas .................................................26 Table 11.2 – Satisfaction With Council Services in the Nine Areas...............................27 Table 11.3 – Community Satisfaction with the Performance of George Town Council ....27 Table 11.4 – Overall Satisfaction of Council’s Performance by Age Group ....................28 Section Twelve – Suggestions for Improvement ................................................... 29 Table 12.1 – Areas Most in Need of Improvement ....................................................29 Section Thirteen – Comparisons with the LGAT Survey ......................................... 30 Table 13.1 – The Comparison of Importance Scores Provided by George Town Residents and those from the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Survey.....................31 Table 13.2 – The Comparison of Average Satisfaction Scores Provided by George Town Residents and those from the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Survey of 1240 Residents.....................................................................................................32 Table 13.3 – Areas Most in Need of Improvement - The Comparison of Answers Given by George Town Residents and those from the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Survey of 1240 Residents ......................................................................................33 Appendix A – Demographics of the Sample ........................................................... 38 Appendix B – The Questionnaire ............................................................................ 35
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
1
Summary of the Results The purpose of the research was to provide a snapshot of the satisfaction residents of the George Town Council area have with the services provided by the Council.
Nine areas of council services had previously been defined and within these areas some 31 distinctive service areas were identified.
400 George Town residents were interviewed by telephone in late November and early December 2006. They were selected from across the municipality.
Residents’ views of the importance of each service have been measured together with their satisfaction with respect to the services.
Summary Table 1 – Average Importance of the Nine Service Areas Number of Elements
Average Importance Score %
Waste management
4
93
Roads, footpaths and traffic
3
91
Customer service by the Council
7
91
Community health and safety
3
90
Planning and development
1
88
Water and sewerage
3
88
Social and community services
2
88
Informing residents about Council activities and decisions
3
85
Recreational and cultural facilities and programs
5
84
Service Area
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
2
Summary Table 2 – Satisfaction with Council Services in the Nine Service Areas Number of Elements
Average Satisfaction Score %
Customer service
7
79
Water and sewerage
3
76
Community health and safety
3
73
Social and community services
2
67
Waste management
4
66
Recreational and cultural facilities and programs
5
66
Roads, footpaths and traffic
3
60
Informing residents about Council activities & decisions
3
59
Planning and development
1
58
31
67
Arena
Average Satisfaction with Council’s Performance
Average satisfaction for George Town obtained by aggregating the scores for each of the 9 customer service areas was 67%.
Areas with the highest level of customer satisfaction were “the standards of customer service provided by the Council”, “water and sewerage” and “community health and safety”.
The lowest levels of satisfaction were recorded for “planning and development”, “informing residents about Council activities and decisions” and “roads, footpaths and traffic”.
“Roads, footpaths and traffic” was identified by 26% of residents as the area greatest in need of improvement. 11% saw no area as needing improvement.
A snapshot survey was also conducted for the Local Government Association of Tasmania just previous to the survey for the George Town Council using an identical questionnaire. Overall satisfaction for local government services across Tasmania stood at 69% compared with 67% for George Town.
When a single question asking for overall satisfaction with George Town Council’s performance was put towards the end of the survey, the satisfaction level increased to 68%. The state wide satisfaction level was 72%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
3
Average Importance and Weighted Satisfaction Scores 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
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ic e
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4
Section One – Introduction 1.1 Purpose The purpose of the research was to administer a structured questionnaire to a representative sample of the residents of the George Town Municipality and to measure the levels of satisfaction with Council in its performance of services.
1.2 The Sample The sample has involved interviewing 400 residents. Broad quotas have been applied to ensure that the Council area is represented in a way that reflects the profile of the resident population.
Quotas have also been imposed to keep the overall “shape” of the sample so that the demographics reflect the make up of the adult population of the Municipality.
The demographics of the sample are summarised in Appendix A.
1.3 Methodology Interviewing was conducted in November/December 2006 using LGAT’s structured questionnaire. Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) was used. The questionnaire is Appendix B to this Report.
The LGAT questionnaire was also used to survey 1240 adults across Tasmania to provide a Tasmania wide snapshot against which results from the George Town survey can be compared.
While the LGAT survey provides a broad understanding of satisfaction in council areas across the state, some council areas chose to commission additional surveys targeting residents in the area. This allows for reliable conclusions to be drawn about the community as a whole and to compare these findings with those of the rest of Tasmania. As is the case in the George Town survey, some council’s also chose to add area-specific questions to their independent survey.
This survey explores the George Town residents’ satisfaction with a range of services provided by Council and also the importance they attached to each of the service elements.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
5 The types of services were divided into 9 areas spanning the 3 broad divisions of property services, community services and interaction with the Council. In all, some 31 elements were included in these 9 areas ranging from “household garbage collection” to “access to Councillors”.
1.4 Measuring Importance The importance residents attached to each of the 31 service elements was assessed after asking each resident to “score” the importance of the service element from 1 to 5, where 1 represented “not important at all” and 5 was “very important”. All participants gave an importance score for each element.
Two importance measures are given. The first is the percentage of respondents that have given a score of “4” or “5” out of 5 for each element. The second is an average importance score recorded from all respondents for that particular element.
1.5 Measuring Satisfaction with a Service Area Residents were asked to measure the performance of Council with respect to the 31 elements by, once again, giving them a score of between 1 and 5, where 1 is “very dissatisfied” and 5 is “very satisfied”.
Not all participants were able to give a satisfaction score for all elements. This was usually because a service was not relevant to them. Satisfaction scores are converted into percentages. The percentage score for each element is the average of the scores provided by all people who felt able to give a score for that service.
The scores for each element in an area have then been averaged to give a score for that area. For example, the area “waste management” contains 4 elements and the scores for each have been averaged to give an average score for waste management.
1.6 Measuring Overall Satisfaction Overall satisfaction is a measure of how satisfied residents are with the level of satisfaction with the 9 areas and the 31 elements in those 9 areas taken as a whole.
Residents attach different levels of importance to each of the areas and this is reflected in their overall satisfaction. The average importance scores for each area is used as a means of ensuring that areas residents consider more important are given due weight.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
6
1.7 The People Interviewed and their Dealings with the Local Council 83% of those interviewed were ratepayers.
84% had lived in the local area for at least 6 years and 58% for more than 20 years.
68% had had direct dealings with Council in person, by phone or in writing within the last 12 months. 9% had never had any direct dealings with their local Council.
Of those who had contacted the Council in the last 12 months, 75% had made contact in person, 18% had used the telephone and 5% had written to the Council. 4 (1%) had made contact via email. One had contacted the Council via fax.
1.8 Structure of the Report The remainder of the Report is divided into 11 main sections. Each of the Sections 2 to 10 is devoted to one of the 9 areas of Council services. It contains both importance and satisfaction scores for each of the elements that make up an area.
Section 11 deals with the overall level of satisfaction with local government services in Tasmania using the results of the earlier sections and checks this against the answer to a single question,
How satisfied are you with your Council’s performance, overall? Section 12 compares the importance and performance scores for George Town with the Tasmania wide survey of 1240 respondents conducted at the same time for the Local Government Association of Tasmania.
Section 13 explores the views of residents about the areas of Council involvement where improvement is most needed.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
7
Section Two – Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions This area consists of 3 elements, Informing Council residents about Council activities and decisions, eg. brochures,
publications, newspapers and media releases, Involving residents in local decision making, and Access to Councillors.
Table 2.1 – The Importance of Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
Informing Council residents about Council activities and decisions, eg. brochures, publications, newspapers, media releases Involving residents in local decision making
75
84
86
88
Access to Councillors
78
84
-
85
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 2.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Service in Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Satisfaction Score %
Informing Council residents about Council activities and decisions, eg. brochures, publications, newspapers, media release Involving residents in local decision making
31
60
23
54
Access to Councillors
37
64
-
59
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
8
Figure 2 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Service in Informing Residents about Council Activities and Decisions
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
Informing Residents
Involving Residents Access to Councillors
Importance
Satisfaction
The lowest satisfaction score was for “involving residents in local decision making”. It was also the element that residents attached the greatest importance to. Overall, the importance of the area was the 2nd lowest of the 9 areas at 85%. Satisfaction was also the 2nd lowest of the areas at 59%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
9
Section Three – Planning and Development This Section consists of only one element of Local Government service, Consistent and appropriate planning and development.
Table 3.1 – The Importance of Local Government Planning and Development Processes Element Consistent and appropriate planning and development
% scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
86
88
Table 3.2 – Community Satisfaction with Local Government Planning and Development Processes Element Consistent and appropriate planning and development
% scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
29
58
6% of residents had not had any experiences and were unable to provide a satisfaction score for this area.
Despite this, 65% gave a score of less than 4 out of 5.
This area attracted the lowest satisfaction score out of all 9 areas at 58%. In importance it was the equal 5th most important area out of 9 at 88%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
10
Figure 3 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Service with Respect to Local Government Planning and Development Processes
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
Consistent and Appropriate Planning & Development Importance
Satisfaction
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
11
Section Four – Roads, Footpaths and Traffic This area consists of 3 elements, Safe and well-maintained roads, Safe and well-maintained pedestrian areas, eg. footpaths and walkways, and An efficient local road network, ie. traffic flow.
Table 4.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Roads, Footpaths and Traffic % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
Safe and well-maintained local roads
93
94
Safe and well-maintained pedestrian areas, eg. footpaths and walkways An efficient local road network, ie. traffic flow
88
90
85
88
-
91
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 4.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Roads, Footpaths and Traffic % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Safe and well-maintained local roads
27
54
Safe and well-maintained pedestrian areas, eg., footpaths and walkways An efficient local road network ie. traffic flow
28
56
51
70
-
60
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
“Roads, footpaths and traffic” was the area with the equal 2nd highest importance score at 91%. It also recorded the 3rd lowest satisfaction score of all areas.
The average satisfaction score was 60% with “safe and well maintained local roads” and “safe and well maintained pedestrian areas” scoring 54% and 56% respectively.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
12
Figure 4 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Roads, Footpaths and Traffic
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45
Safe & Well Maintained Local Roads
Pedestrian Areas
Importance
Efficient Local Road Network
Satisfaction
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
13
Section Five – Waste Management This area consists of 4 elements, Household garbage collection, Recycling services including kerbside recycling and depots, Operation of local tip and waste transfer stations, and Maintaining a clean city or town including public rubbish bins.
Table 5.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Waste Management % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
Household garbage collection
94
94
Recycling services including kerbside recycling and depots
92
92
Operation of local tip and waste transfer stations
86
90
Maintaining a clean city or town including public rubbish bins
94
94
-
93
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 5.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Waste Management % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Household garbage collection
43
60
Recycling services including kerbside recycling and depots
51
68
Operation of local tip and waste transfer stations
42
64
Maintaining a clean city or town including public rubbish bins
55
72
-
66
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
14
Figure 5 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Waste Management
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
Household Garbage Collection
Recycling
Importance
Tip & Waste Transfer Stations
Tidy Towns
Satisfaction
This area was the highest in importance with a score of 93%. It scored 5th for resident satisfaction at 66%. Satisfaction household garbage collection was lowest at 60%. “Maintaining a clean and tidy town” scored highest of the elements at 72%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
15
Section Six – Social and Community Services This area consisted of only 2 elements, Services and programs provided by Council for particular sections of the
community, such as elderly, people with disabilities, young people and children’s services, indigenous and ethnic members of the community, and Council support for other groups and organisations.
Table 6.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Social and Community Services Element
% scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
91
90
81
86
-
88
Services and programs provided by Council for particular sections of the community, such as elderly, people with disabilities, young people and children’s services, indigenous and ethnic members of the community Council support for other groups and organisations Average Importance Score
Table 6.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Social and Community Services Element
% scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
40
68
36
66
-
67
Services and programs provided by Council for particular sections of the community, such as elderly, people with disabilities, young people and children’s services, indigenous and ethnic members of the community Council support for other groups and organisations Average Satisfaction Score
This area was the equal 5th highest in importance to residents. 12-14% were not prepared to give a satisfaction score for these elements. Overall satisfaction score was 4th highest at 67%. Importance was scored at 88%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
16
Figure 6 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Social and Community Services 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
Services & Programs for Sections of the Community Importance
Support for Other Groups
Satisfaction
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
17
Section Seven – Community Health and Safety This area consists of three diverse elements, Hygiene standards of food outlets, restaurants and public facilities, Council immunisation programs, and Dog control.
Table 7.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Community Health and Safety % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
Hygiene standards of food outlets, restaurants and public facilities Council immunisation programs
95
94
84
88
Dog control
84
88
-
90
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 7.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Community Health and Safety % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Hygiene standards of food outlets, restaurants and public facilities Council immunisation programs
65
76
42
80
Dog control
39
64
-
73
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
The overall importance score was 90%, highest for the “hygiene standards of food outlets, restaurants and public facilities” at 94%. Community health and safety was regarded as the 4th most important of the 9 areas. The satisfaction score was 3rd highest at 73%. Satisfaction was lowest for “dog control”.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
18
Figure 7 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Community Health and Safety
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
Hygiene
Immunisation Programs Importance
Satisfaction
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
Dog Control
19
Section Eight – Water and Sewerage This area also consists of 3 elements, Standard of water supply, eg. water quality, pressure, Sewerage removal and treatment, and Stormwater and flood control.
Table 8.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Water and Sewerage % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
Standard of water supply, eg. water quality, pressure
90
90
Sewerage removal and treatment
86
88
Stormwater and flood control
83
86
-
88
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 8.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Water and Sewerage % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Standard of water supply, eg. water quality, pressure
52
74
Sewerage removal and treatment
60
82
Stormwater and flood control
47
72
-
76
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
Importance scores averaged 88% for all elements giving this area a rating of equal 5th most important of the 9 service areas. The satisfaction score of 76% placed this at 2nd among the 9 areas.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
20
Figure 8 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Water and Sewerage
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
Standard of Water Supply
Sewerage Removal & Treatment
Importance
Stormwater & Flood Control
Satisfaction
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
21
Section Nine – Recreation and Cultural Facilities and Programs This area consists of 5 elements, Sportsgrounds and cultural facilities, Parks and playgrounds, Community centres and halls, Art and entertainment facilities, and Art and entertainment activities – including special events.
Table 9.1 – The Importance of Council Services with Respect to Recreational and Cultural Facilities and Programs % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score%
Sportsgrounds and cultural facilities – indoor and outdoor
83
86
Parks and playgrounds
88
90
Community centres and halls
84
86
Art and entertainment facilities – including museums and art galleries Art and entertainment activities and special events
67
78
71
80
-
84
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 9.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Recreational and Cultural Facilities and Programs % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Sportsgrounds and cultural facilities – indoor and outdoor
46
70
Parks and playgrounds
42
66
Community centres and halls
44
68
Art and entertainment facilities – including museums and art galleries Art and entertainment activities and special events
30
62
39
66
-
66
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
22
Figure 9 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Recreational and Cultural Facilities and Programs
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55
En te r
En te rt ai nm
ta in m
C un ity m
& rt s A
A
rt s
&
om C
ct iv iti es
H & en tr es
Pl & Pa rk s
Importance
en tA
al ls
s ay gr ou nd
ec re at io n R & Sp or ts gr ou nd s
en tF ac ili tie s
50
Satisfaction
This was judged to be the least important of the 9 areas, reflecting the failure of some activities to appeal to the whole community. The importance of the area was scored at 84%. The satisfaction score was moderate at 66%, equal 5th highest of the areas. The highest satisfaction score of 70% given for “sports grounds and cultural facilities”.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
23
Section Ten – Customer Service Of the 400 respondents, 50% last had direct dealings with the Council within the last 3 months, 11% 3 to 6 months ago, 8% 6 to 12 months ago and 21% more than 12 months ago. 9% said they had never had direct dealings with the Council and 2% could not recall the last time they had dealings with the Council.
Of those who had made contact in the last 12 months, 75% had done so in person, 18% by telephone, 5% in writing, 4 (1%) had made contact via email and 1 person via fax.
Of those who had initiated contact, common issues they had contacted the Council about included, Rates or taxes (23%), Building or planning inquiries (18%), Bills or fines (13%), Water or sewerage (8%), Dog registration or information (6%), Town meetings or community consultation (6%), Roads, footpaths or traffic (5%), Waste management issues (3%), Trimming or maintaining vegetation (3%), Cultural and recreational programs (3%), Community health and safety (3%), Community car (1%), and George Town show (1%).
All respondents were then asked questions regarding the importance of customer service provided by the Council and their satisfaction with the service received. This area consists of 7 elements, The politeness and friendliness of staff, Their professional attitude and presentation, Overall handling and response to your inquiry, Convenient opening hours, Physical access to Council buildings (eg. ramps, railings and stairs), Access to Council Information (eg. by phone, Council offices, telephone), and Access to Council staff.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
24
Table 10.1 – The Importance of Customer Service from Your Local Council % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Average Importance Score %
Friendliness and politeness of staff
95
94
Professional attitude and presentation
95
92
Overall handling and response to the inquiry
94
94
Convenient opening hours
86
88
Physical access to Council buildings, eg. ramps, railings and stairs Access to Council information, eg. at Council offices, by phone or via the internet Access to Council staff
88
90
86
90
86
88
-
91
Element
Average Importance Score
Table 10.2 – Community Satisfaction with the Level of Customer Service from Your Local Council % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Friendliness and politeness of staff
75
80
Professional attitude and presentation
73
80
Overall handling and response to the inquiry
64
74
Convenient opening hours
76
84
Physical access to Council buildings, eg. ramps, railings and stairs Access to Council information, eg. at Council offices, by phone or via the internet Access to Council staff
79
86
60
76
57
74
-
79
Element
Average Satisfaction Score
The area of Customer Service recorded the highest satisfaction scores of the nine areas at 79%. Satisfaction scores for 4 of the 7 areas were at least 80%. This was scored at equal 2nd highest for importance at 91%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
25
Figure 10 – Importance and Satisfaction with the Level of Local Council Services with Respect to Customer Service 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55
on
A ou cc es nc s il In fo rm at io A n cc es s to St af f
rs
si ca l
H ou
to
C
Ph y
A
C
cc es s
ve ni en t
O
to
pe ni ng
In qu
iri es
ta ff al S on se
es p
ss io n R
Pr of e
Fr ie nd ly
&
Po lit e
St af f
50
Importance
Satisfaction
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
26
Section Eleven – Overall Satisfaction with the Council’s Performance Each of the 9 areas, and the elements that go to make up each of them, is important in its own right. However, there is also interest in obtaining an overall satisfaction score for Council’s services as a whole.
Table 11.1 – Average Importance of the Nine Areas Number of Elements
Average Importance Score %
Waste management
4
93
Roads, footpaths and traffic
3
91
Customer service by the Council
7
91
Community health and safety
3
90
Planning and development
1
88
Water and sewerage
3
88
Social and community services
2
88
Informing residents about Council activities and decisions
3
85
Recreational and cultural facilities and programs
5
84
Service Area
The importance attached to each of the 9 areas has been expressed as a set of “importance scores” in Table 11.1 and ranked in descending order from most important to least important. They indicate that statewide, residents attach higher importance to “property services” than they do to “community services”. In part, this reflects the fact that they affect nearly everyone in the community rather than groups with particular interests. As mentioned in Section 1.4, aggregating satisfaction in a meaningful way requires more than a simple averaging of the 9 area satisfaction scores. The overall satisfaction score firstly needs to take into account the fact that different numbers of respondents are able to give satisfaction scores for the various elements. Secondly, an adjustment needs to be made to reflect the differences in importance that residents attach to each area. These adjustments have been made in Table 11.2 to produce an “overall satisfaction score”.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
27
Table 11.2 – Satisfaction With Council Services in the Nine Areas Number of Elements
Average Satisfaction Score %
Customer service
7
79
Water and sewerage
3
76
Community health and safety
3
73
Social and community services
2
67
Waste management
4
66
Recreational and cultural facilities and programs
5
66
Roads, footpaths and traffic
3
60
Informing residents about Council activities & decisions
3
59
Planning and development
1
58
31
67
Arena
Average Satisfaction with Council’s Performance
On this occasion the average satisfaction with Council’s performance score is 67%. An independent test of customer satisfaction came from asking,
How satisfied are you with YOUR Council’s performance overall?
Table 11.3 – Community Satisfaction with the Performance of George Town Council Element Overall Satisfaction with Council’s Performance (400 respondents)
% scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
49
68
This overall score for customer satisfaction of 68% compares with the aggregated average of all areas of 67%.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
28
Table 11.4 – Overall Satisfaction of Council’s Performance By Age Group % scoring 4 or 5 out of 5
Satisfaction Score %
Under 25 years
36
54
25-34 years
42
64
35-44 years
36
64
45-54 years
44
66
55-69 years
56
70
70 years and over
65
78
Age Group
Satisfaction was highest at 78% among the group of respondents aged 70 and over in the George Town. The average satisfaction with Council’s performance overall increased with the age of respondent.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
29
Section Twelve – Suggestions for Improvement Respondents were asked,
Thinking about the list we’ve gone through, and anything else that comes to mind, what is one area of Council where you think improvement is most needed?
Table 12.1 – Areas Most in Need of Improvement Number Mentioning this Area
% of the Sample
Roads, footpaths and traffic
103
26
Waste management
58
15
Informing residents about Council activities and decisions
48
12
Recreational and cultural facilities and programs
32
8
Planning and development
25
6
Customer service
25
6
Social and community services
20
5
Community health and safety
12
3
Water and sewerage
11
3
None
45
11
Area Where Improvement is Most Needed
“Roads, Footpaths and Traffic” is the area that residents considered most in need of improvement. 26% of residents nominated this area from among the 9 areas. The next most important areas were seen to be “waste management” (15%) and “informing residents about Council activities and decisions” (12%).
11% of residents saw no area as being in need of improvement. Those aged 55 and over were more likely to see nothing in need of improvement.
Very few people saw “water and sewerage” or “community health and safety” as being the area most in need of improvement.
Other areas they mentioned as being in need of improvement were animal control (11 people), the general management of the Council including distribution of funds (7), “lower the rates” (3) and environmental issues – specifically the Pulp Mill (3).
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
30
Section Thirteen – Comparisons with the LGAT Survey As mentioned previously, the questionnaire was also administered to 1240 residents across Tasmania, drawn from the 29 Local Government Areas. This Section compares the scores given by George Town residents with those of the LGAT sample for the 31 elements that made up the 9 areas.
It does so both for importance and residents’ satisfaction.
Finally it compares their assessment of the area most in need of attention.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
31
Table 13.1 – The Comparison of Importance Scores Provided by George Town Residents and those from the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Survey of 1240 Residents Arena
Element
George Town N=400
Informing Residents about Activities and Decisions
Informing residents about Council activities and decisions Involving residents in local decision making Access to Councillors Average for the area Consistent and appropriate planning and development Average for the area Safe and well-maintained local roads Safe and well maintained pedestrian areas An efficient local road network Average for the area Household garbage collection Recycling services including kerbside recycling and depots Operation of local tip and waste transfer situation Maintaining a clean city or town incl. public rubbish bins Average for the area Services for particular sections of the community Council support for other groups and organisations Average for the area Hygiene standards on food outlets Council immunisation programs Dog control Average for the area Quality of the water supply Sewerage removal and treatment Stormwater and flood control Average for the area Sportsgrounds and cultural facilities Parks and playgrounds Community centres and halls Arts and entertainment facilities Arts and entertainment activities Average for the area Friendliness and politeness of staff Professional attitude and presentation Overall handling and response to the inquiry Convenient opening hours Physical access to council buildings Access to Council information Access to Council staff Average for the area
84 88 84 85 88 88 94 90 88 91 94 92 90 94 93 90 86 88 94 88 88 90 90 88 86 88 86 90 86 78 80 84 94 92 94 88 90 90 88 91
Planning and Development Roads, Footpaths and Traffic Waste Management
Social and Community Services Community Health and Safety Water and Sewerage
Recreation and Cultural Facilities
Council Service
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
LGAT N=1240
80 84 80 83 88 88 94 92 90 92 90 90 86 94 90 86 80 83 94 86 86 89 92 90 86 89 84 88 80 74 76 81 96 92 94 86 84 88 86 90
32
Table 13.2 – The Comparison of Average Satisfaction Scores Provided by George Town Residents and those from the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Survey of 1240 Residents Arena
Element
George Town N=400
Informing Residents about Activities and Decisions
Informing residents about Council activities and decisions Involving residents in local decision making Access to Councillors Average for the area Consistent and appropriate planning and development Average for the area Safe and well-maintained local roads Safe and well maintained pedestrian areas An efficient local road network Average for the area Household garbage collection Recycling services including kerbside recycling and depots Operation of local tip and waste transfer situation Maintaining a clean city or town incl. public rubbish bins Average for the area Services for particular sections of the community Council support for other groups and organisations Average for the area Hygiene standards on food outlets Council immunisation programs Dog control Average for the area Quality of the water supply Sewerage removal and treatment Stormwater and flood control Average for the area Sportsgrounds and cultural facilities Parks and playgrounds Community centres and halls Arts and entertainment facilities Arts and entertainment activities Average for the area Friendliness and politeness of staff Professional attitude and presentation Overall handling and response to the inquiry Convenient opening hours Physical access to council buildings Access to Council information Access to Council staff Average for the area
60 54 64 59 58 58 54 56 70 60 60 68 64 72 66 68 66 67 76 80 64 73 74 82 72 76 70 66 68 62 66 66 80 80 74 84 86 76 74 79
Planning and Development Roads, Footpaths and Traffic Waste Management
Social and Community Services Community Health and Safety Water and Sewerage
Recreation and Cultural Facilities
Council Service
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
LGAT N=1240
64 56 64 62 58 58 56 60 64 60 80 76 72 74 76 66 64 65 74 80 68 74 76 80 74 77 74 74 70 66 66 70 84 82 76 84 86 76 76 81
33
Table 13.3 – Areas Most in Need of Improvement – The Comparison of Answers Given by George Town Residents and those from the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Survey of 1240 Residents % of Residents Council N=400
% of Residents Tasmania N=1240
Roads, footpaths and traffic
26
27
Waste management
15
7
Informing residents about Council activities and decisions
12
7
None
11
14
Recreational and cultural facilities and programs
8
5
Planning and development
6
11
Customer service
6
2
Social and community services
5
3
Water and sewerage
3
5
Community health and safety
3
2
Area Where Improvement is Most Needed
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
34
Appendix A – Demographics of the Sample George Town N=400
Sub Group
LGAT N=1240
Age of Respondent Under 25 years 25 and under 35 35 and under 45 45 and under 55 55 and under 70 70 years or over
years years years years
3 10 17 26 31 14
5 12 21 23 26 13
9 12 18 12 31 8 7 3
10 15 22 14 23 8 5 4
28 27 15 25 6
19 26 20 29 6
31 15 5 0 9 40
38 20 2 3 8 29
83 17
85 15
2 3 11 9 18 58
3 4 10 12 21 51
44 56
49 51
Household Situation Single, never married A couple Family with no children over 16 years Family with children over 16 years at home Married, no children still at home Widowed Separated or divorced Sole parent
Household Annual Income Under $20,000 $20,000 and under $40,000 $40,000 and under $60,000 $60,000 and over Declined to provide income
Employment Status Employed full-time Employed part-time Unemployed A student Home duties Retired or on a pension
Ratepayer Status Ratepayer Not a ratepayer
Length of Time in the Council Area Less than 1 year 1-2 years 3-5 years 6-10 years 11-20 years More than 20 years
Gender Male Female
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
35
Appendix B – The Questionnaire Tasmanian Local Councils George Town Community Survey November 2006 Preliminary Data 1. Interview
2. Interviewer
3. Date
4. Phone Number
5. Local Council Area 1. Break O’ Day 2. Brighton 3. Burnie 4. Central Coast 5. Central Highlands 6. Circular Head 7. Clarence 8. Derwent Valley 9. Devonport 10. Dorset 11. Flinders 12. George Town 13. Glamorgan/Spring Bay 14. Glenorchy 15. Hobart
5. Local Council Area 16. Kentish 17. King Island 18. Kingborough 19. Latrobe 20. Launceston 21. Meander Valley 22. North Midlands 23. Sorell 24. South Midlands 25. Tasman 26. Waratah/Wynyard 27. West Coast 28. West Tamar 29. Huonville
7. Town or Suburb
8. Post Code
10. First Name (Validation)
11. Time Commenced
9. Sex of Respondent 1. Male 2. Female
Introductory Statement Good afternoon/evening. My name is……………from the Tasmanian research firm of EMRS, calling on behalf of the George Town Council. We are conducting a survey about the services provided by your Council for its residents. May I please speak to the person living in your household aged 18 years or over who last had a birthday? (NOTE: IF THAT IS NOT THE PERSON TO WHOM YOU ARE SPEAKING, ASK TO SPEAK WITH THAT PERSON, AND IF NOT AVAILABLE, ARRANGE A CALL BACK TIME) REPEAT INTRODUCTION IF NECESSARY. WHEN YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON ASK…….. Would you mind answering some questions about your local Council please? It should take about 10 minutes and I can assure you that this is genuine & confidential research being undertaken on behalf of George Town Council. (IF NOT CONVENIENT, ARRANGE A CALL BACK TIME). IF NECESSARY, REASSURE RESPONDENT THAT THEIR IDENTITY REMAINS CONFIDENTIAL AND THAT RESPONSES ARE COLLATED INTO A SET OF TABLES. COUNCIL WILL NOT KNOW WHO HAS RESPONDED. May I now just check that you are over 18 years and that you live in the (SPECIFY COUNCIL AREA)Council area. IF RESPONDENT IS UNSURE OF COUNCIL AREA, CHECK THE SUBURB AND POSTCODE AND RECORD PLEASE.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
36 SECTION A1 – COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 1. I am now going to read out a list of Council activities, services and programs. I’d like you to think about the importance of each one to you and your satisfaction with the level of service provided for each one. Some may not seem relevant to you but I’ll go through them all just in case. Firstly, I would like you to rate the importance of each attribute on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is not important at all and 5 is very important. Once you have done that I would like you to rate how satisfied you are with Council’s performance on each attribute on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is Very Dissatisfied and 5 is very Satisfied. We will do them in tandem, first importance and 2nd satisfaction. INTERVIEWER: PLEASE RATE IMPORTANCE AND SATISFACTION FOR EACH BEFORE GOING TO THE NEXT ITEM!! MARK 1,2,3,4 OR 5 IN COLUMN A FOR IMPORTANCE AND COLUMN B FOR SATISFACTION Rotate sections A1-A9 and mark with a tick! COLUMN. A = COLUM B = IMPORTANCE SATISFACTION SCORE SCORE ASK, How important to you on a scale of 1-5 is, 1=Not Impt at 1=Very (READ ATTRIBUTE) and how satisfied are you on all dissatisfied a scale of 1 – 5 with Council’s performance 5=Very 5 = Very on….. Important satisfied 1.1 Informing Residents about Councils Activities (e.g., newsletters, brochures, publications, etc.) 1.2 Involving Residents in Local Decision Making 1.3 Access to Councillors A2 – PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT 2.1 Consistent and Appropriate Planning and Development A3 – ROADS, FOOTPATHS & TRAFFIC 3.1 Safe and Well Maintained Roads 3.2 Safe and Well Maintained Pedestrian Areas (eg., footpaths, walkways) 3.3 An Efficient Local Road Network (traffic flow) A4 – WASTE MANAGEMENT COLUMN. A = COLUM B = IMPORTANCE SATISFACTION SCORE SCORE ASK, How important to you on a scale of 1-5 is, 1=Not Impt at 1=Very (READ ATTRIBUTE) and how satisfied are you on all dissatisfied a scale of 1 – 5 with Council’s performance 5=Very 5 = Very on……. Important satisfied 4.1 Household garbage collection 4.2 Recycling services (includes kerbside recycling and depots) 4.3 Operation of local tip and transfer stations 4.4 Maintaining a clean and tidy city/town A5 – SOCIAL & COMMUNITY SERVICES 5.1 Services and Programs Provided by Council for particular sections of the Community. (eg., elderly, disabled, young people, children, indigenous people, ethnic people).
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
37 5.2 Council Support for Other Community Groups and Organisations. (Note: This is close to one above, ask respondent if they can think of one, eg. Sporting clubs, etc.) A6 – COMMUNITY HEALTH & SAFETY 6.1 Hygiene Standards of food outlets, restaurants and public facilities 6.2 Council Immunisation Programs 6.3 Dog Control A7 – WATER AND SEWERAGE 7.1 Standard of Water Supply (water quality and pressure) 7.2 Sewerage Removal and Treatment 7.3 Stormwater and Flood Control A8 – RECREATION, CULTURAL FACILITIES & PROGRAMS 8.1 Sportsgrounds & Recreational Facilities 8.2 Parks and Playgrounds 8.3 Community Centres and Halls 8.4 Arts & Entertainment Facilities (inc. museums and art galleries) 8.5 Arts & Entertainment Activities and Special Events A9 – CUSTOMER SERVICE Now, some questions about customer service, 1. Within the Last 3 months GO TO Q9.2 & CONTINUE THRU TO 9.1 When did you LAST have direct dealings 9.10 with Council, either in person, by telephone or 2. 6-12 months ago GO TO Q9.2 & in writing? CONTINUE THRU TO 9.10 3. More than 12 months ago GO TO Q9.7 4. Never had direct dealings with Council GO TO Q9.7 5. Can’t Recall GO TO Q9.7 9.2 Was that,………… 1. In person In person, 2. By Telephone By telephone 3. In Writing In Writing, 4. Other, (SPECIFY) Other, (specify) 9.3 What was it about? 1……………………………….. …………………………………. …………………………………. …………………………………. ………………………………….
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
38 And now, we would you to rate the importance to you and your satisfaction with the following aspects of Council Customer Service …..
COLUMN. A = IMPORTANCE SCORE
COLUM B = SATISFACTION SCORE
ASK, How important to you on a scale of 1-5 is, 1=Not Impt at 1=Very (READ ATTRIBUTE) and how satisfied are you on all dissatisfied a scale of 1-5 are you with Council’s 5=Very 5 = Very performance on….. Important satisfied 9.4 Staff’s Friendliness & Politeness 9.5 Staff’s Professional Attitude & Presentation 9.6 Staff’s Overall Handling of, and Response to your Inquiry 9.7 Convenience of Opening Hours 9.8 Physical Access to Council Buildings. (eg. Ramps, railings, stairs) 9.9 Access to Council Information (eg. By telephone, at Council Offices and via the Internet) 9.10 Access to Council Staff A10 – OTHER QUESTIONS - GEORGE TOWN 10.1 We would now like to ask you how 1=Very Dissatisfied satisfied you are with Council’s OVERALL 5= Very Satisfied performance on a scale of 1 – 5 where 1= very dissatisfied and 5 = very satisfied, How would 1……2…..3……4……5 you rate your Council? 10.2 Thinking about the list we have just gone through, and anything else that comes to mind, What is the ONE area of Council Involvement where you think improvement is MOST NEEDED?
PLEASE SPECIFY & PROBE FOR FULL INFORMATION 1……………………………….. ………………………………….
And now, just to make sure we have a good representative sample of George Town Council residents, would you mind answering the following questions for us please? 11. Which suburb, or town do you live in please? 1……………………………….. 12. And your postcode?………… 1……………………………….. 13. Are you a Ratepayer of the George Town Council?
1. Yes 2. No
14. How long have you lived in this Council area? Is it……………….
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Less than 1 year 1 – 2 years 3 – 4 years 6 – 10 years 11 – 20 years More than 20 years
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
39 15. Are you……..
16. Which of the following best describes your household? Are you………..
17. Are you………
18. Is your annual household income…….
19. And lastly, may I please have your first name for validation purposes only?
1. 18 and under 25 years 2. 25 and under 40 years 3. 40 and under 55 years 4. 55 and under 70 years 5. 70 and over 6. Declined to answer 1. Single, never married 2. A couple, no children yet 3. Family all children under 6 years 4. Family with children over 16 still at home 5. Married, no children still living at home 6. Widowed 7. Separated or divorced 8. Sole Parent 9. Declined to answer 1. Employed full time 2. Employed part time, casual 3. Unemployed 4. A student 5. Engaged in home duties 6. Retired/on a pension 7. Declined to Answer 1. Under $20,000 2. $20,000 and under $40,000 3. $40,000 and under $60,000 4. $60,000 or over 5. Declined to Answer 1………………………………..
Thank you for helping us. Just to remind you, my name is…………..from the Tasmanian research firm of EMRS and that we have been conducting this survey on behalf of George Town Council and your local Council. If you have any questions about this survey, you can ring my supervisor on 62 111 222. I certify that this questionnaire has been completed fully and accurately according to the professional standards of the Market Research Society of Australia. ………………………………….INTERVIEWER……………………………DATE ………………………………TIME COMPLETED…………………TIME TAKEN
Residents’ Satisfaction with Council Services in the George Town Council Area Research Report – November 2006
