Moyne Shire Council's overall direction rating lower, shows survey

The council's community satisfaction survey shows the overall direction rating dropped from 57 in 2021 to 50 in 2022.

However the council still fared better than the large rural shire average of 47.

Cr Foster said she was delighted the council had scored a record rating of 72 - an increase of one point - in customer service.

However she said she believed councillors needed to look into what had caused the decline in the overall direction rating in the community survey.

"Are we not doing a really good job?" Cr Foster said.

"Are we explaining our advocacy and lobbying efforts well enough?"

Cr Foster said councillors also needed to consider whether they were being "transparent enough" in their decision making.

"There's an opportunity for us as a council to reflect about how we work together and how we convey our vision as well," she said.

Cr Foster said she was proud of the overall results but there was always room for improvement.

Cr James Purcell said while the results were not cause for major concern, it was an opportunity to review some key areas.

"We do need to take some heed because it's the first time in a while I can remember when the majority of indicators have gone backwards," Cr Purcell said.

The council's rating for consultation and engagement decreased from 57 to 55, community decisions went from 58 to 55.

Sealed local roads dropped from 43 to 42 and waste management dropped one point from 71 to 70.

Moyne mayor Ian Smith said the survey result for customer service was a reflection on the way the council's team responded to the community.

"It's a great result for our dedicated customer service teams and shows the level of commitment they have to ensure the community receives the assistance they need," Cr Smith said.

"Council has performed well across all categories, with most index scores being above the state and large group averages.

"There has been a slight decline when compared to our record result in 2021, but overall it's a steady result, in line with a state-wide trend and Moyne remains higher in almost all service areas when compared to municipalities of a similar size."

He said there were lessons to take from the results and council's teams would focus on those over the coming 12 months.

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