Summary of the SMRC Community Survey Report
SMRC Performance Under Scrutiny as Satisfaction Scores Fall Below NSW Average - By Chris Chan
2024 Community Satisfaction Survey: Introduction & Overall Satisfaction Analysis
The 2024 Community Satisfaction Survey, conducted by Taverner Research Group, provides key insights into how residents of the Snowy Monaro Regional Council (SMRC) area perceive the council’s performance. The survey, which included 400 randomly selected residents aged 18 and over, aims to assess community satisfaction, identify critical service priorities, and evaluate public sentiment regarding governance, financial management, and infrastructure.
The report examines:
Overall satisfaction with council performance and how it compares to previous years.
Perceptions of key council services and facilities, including road maintenance, waste management, libraries, and community care.
The effectiveness of council leadership, particularly in balancing development and community values.
Customer service experiences, including ease of communication and issue resolution.
Public understanding of the council’s financial position and confidence in financial management.
Community sentiment on the proposed “Back to Basics” approach, which suggests cutting discretionary services to address financial challenges.
This year’s findings indicate a continued decline in satisfaction, with significant concerns regarding leadership, financial instability, and road maintenance. The survey serves as a crucial tool for understanding community priorities and identifying areas where council performance must improve.
Preface
The full survey report contains extensive data covering a range of council services and community concerns. However, for the sake of brevity, this analysis will focus primarily on Section 3.1 (Overall Satisfaction with Council Performance) and Section 6 (Council Customer Service, including Figures 19 and 20). These sections have been chosen because they highlight two of the most pressing issues faced by the community:
A persistent and worsening decline in public satisfaction with council leadership, governance, and financial management.
Ongoing frustrations with customer service, including the difficulty of contacting the council and the inefficiency in resolving residents' concerns.
While other sections, such as infrastructure and financial planning, remain critical, community sentiment towards governance and service delivery forms the foundation of overall trust in local government. By addressing these core issues, the council may better understand the root causes of dissatisfaction and work towards meaningful improvements.
3.1 Overall Satisfaction with Council Performance
The 2024 Community Satisfaction Survey reveals a continued decline in overall satisfaction with the Snowy Monaro Regional Council (SMRC). The mean satisfaction score for council performance fell to 2.33 (out of a maximum score of 5), down from 2.39 in 2023, marking an ongoing negative trend. This score remains significantly below the regional NSW council average of 3.17, indicating that SMRC is underperforming compared to its peers.
Key Findings:
Declining Satisfaction: The 2.33 score places SMRC well below the benchmark for regional councils in NSW, though it is not the absolute lowest recorded.
Lack of Improvement: Despite previous survey results highlighting key areas for improvement, community perception of the council’s performance continues to deteriorate.
Performance vs. Expectations: The data suggests that residents feel the council has not effectively addressed concerns raised in past surveys, leading to growing dissatisfaction.
Key Findings from Figure 13: Satisfaction with Specific Services and Facilities
Figure 13 presents detailed ratings on various council services and facilities, revealing the areas where residents are most and least satisfied.
Highest Satisfaction Areas:
Libraries and Street Cleanliness were rated the most positively, with at least 50% of respondents rating them 4 or 5 out of 5.
Water supply and sewerage collection also received relatively high satisfaction ratings, suggesting that these basic utilities are among the more reliable services provided by council.
Lowest Satisfaction Areas:
Development-related services—including balancing development with community values and processing Development Applications (DAs)—received some of the lowest ratings.
Road maintenance, both sealed and unsealed, ranked among the most poorly rated services, reinforcing concerns that infrastructure neglect remains a pressing issue for residents.
Weed control was another area of concern, indicating dissatisfaction with land management and environmental upkeep.
Section 6: Council Customer Service (Figures 19 & 20)
Figures 19 and 20 offer insight into residents’ experiences with council customer service, including their satisfaction with council responsiveness, issue resolution, and the quality of interactions with staff.
Figure 19: Overall Satisfaction with Customer Service
The mean satisfaction score for customer service improved slightly, rising from 2.73 (out of a total of 5) in 2023 to 2.85 in 2024.
However, 31% of respondents still rated the council’s handling of enquiries as "very poor", a decrease from 37% in 2023 but still a significant concern.
52% of residents surveyed had contacted council in the past 12 months, with the most common reasons being:
Development Applications (DAs)
Road and footpath improvements
Garbage/waste management issues
Three-quarters of these residents needed multiple contacts to have their issues resolved, indicating ongoing inefficiencies in council responsiveness.
Figure 20: Ease of Contacting Council & Resolution Time
40% of respondents found it difficult to contact council, while only 30% said it was easy.
Response times remain a significant issue, with many residents reporting delays in getting answers or resolving concerns.
The number of interactions required to resolve issues remains high, showing that residents often experience a frustrating and inefficient process when seeking council assistance.
Analysis & Implications
While customer service ratings improved slightly, public confidence remains low, with many residents feeling that issues take too long to resolve.
The high proportion of residents needing multiple contacts suggests that council processes remain inefficient, leading to wasted time and frustration for residents.
The difficulty in reaching council services points to potential staffing or resource allocation issues, which need to be addressed to improve response times and issue resolution.
Conclusion
The 2024 SMRC Community Satisfaction Survey underscores a growing disconnect between the council and the residents it serves, with worsening sentiment driven by poor governance, financial instability, and deteriorating infrastructure. The declining satisfaction with leadership and ongoing frustrations with customer service highlight the urgent need for meaningful changes in governance, financial management, and service delivery to restore public confidence.
A huge thank you to everyone for your continuing support of the Monaro Zone. Your engagement, insights, and persistence in holding our local council accountable are what keep this community strong.
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🔎 Together, we push for truth. Together, we fight for fairness. Together, we stand for our region - Monaro Strong!
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