Boost in resident satisfaction with the DCC

Dunedin (Monday, 16 October 2017) – Overall resident satisfaction with the Dunedin City Council is as high as it has been in the last 15 years.

Results of the 2017 Residents’ Opinion Survey released today show overall satisfaction with the DCC rose 6 points on last year to 58%.

Results of the survey also show that over half of Dunedin residents are now satisfied or very satisfied the DCC delivers overall value for money (51%; up 4 points). Satisfaction with the DCC’s support for economic development in the city rose 6 points on last year to 50%.

Residents’ perceptions of their city also continued on a positive trend, with strong surges in the number of residents who perceive Dunedin as a safe city (up 12 points to 73%) and the number of residents who perceive Dunedin as a sustainable city (up 5 points to 57%).

Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says the survey results reflect a growing sense of confidence in the direction the city is headed.

“The Council continues to successfully balance finding efficiencies and reducing debt with making strategic investments that enhance and improve the city.”

Mr Cull says he is pleased to see the continued strong performance of Dunedin’s cultural and recreational facilities. The Dunedin Botanic Garden, Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, Otago Museum, Dunedin Public Libraries, Regent Theatre, Olveston and Dunedin Public Art Gallery all achieved satisfaction scores of 90% or above.

“These are the types of things that help attract families and people to live here. We are very fortunate to have world-class facilities that are the envy of much larger cities and it’s great to know that our residents recognise and appreciate that,” he says.

DCC Chief Executive Sue Bidrose says that, overall, the latest survey results show a year of solid progress by the organisation.

“Resident satisfaction with the vast majority of the services the DCC provides is trending upwards, while only a few areas saw decreases – and small ones at that,” Dr Bidrose says.

“I am particularly pleased to see continued high satisfaction with those services where residents are interacting directly with DCC staff. Our staff take pride in providing friendly and helpful customer service, all while contributing to making Dunedin a better place to live, work, study and visit.”

Of the 4,800 residents randomly selected from the electoral roll and invited to complete the survey, 1,231 did so – a response rate of 26%. The survey was carried out each month from July 2016 to June 2017 by independent research company Key Research, of Tauranga, and has a margin of error of +/- 2.8%. A report with the full results and detailed information on how the survey was conducted is available at www.dunedin.govt.nz/ros.

2017 Residents’ Opinion Survey highlights

Services/facilities residents are most satisfied with
• Botanic Garden (96%)
• Otago Museum (96%)
• Toitū Otago Settlers Museum (96%)
• City’s Public Libraries (93%)
• Regent Theatre (91%)
• Olveston (91%)
• Dunedin Public Art Gallery (90%)

Services/facilities residents are least satisfied with
• The suitability of the road network for cyclists throughout the city (28%)
• Availability of parking in the central city (33%)
• On-street metred parking (36%)
• Flow of peak traffic (46%)

Largest increases in satisfaction in 2017 from 2016
• Overall satisfaction with the Dunedin City Council (up 6 points to 58%)
• Supporting Dunedin’s economic development (up 6 points to 50%)
• Dunedin Ice Stadium (up 6 points to 74%)
• Stormwater system (up 6 points to 49%)
• Overall value for money (up 4 points to 51%)
• Overall satisfaction with facilities, infrastructure and services (up 4 points to 73%)

Largest decreases in satisfaction in 2017 from 2016
• Sports playing fields (down 4 points to 75%)
• Dunedin i-SITE Visitor Centre (down 4 points to 77%)

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