Campaspe Shire residents have given council its strongest satisfaction rating since the annual community survey began, with overall satisfaction rising to 61 per cent.

The results were discussed by councillors at the August 18 council meeting, with the 2026 survey showing improvements across council performance, governance, community engagement and customer service.

The independently conducted survey, carried out by Metropolis Research across March and April, drew on 402 randomly selected Campaspe residents to ensure a representative community snapshot.

Overall satisfaction increased from 54 per cent last year to 61 per cent, above the Victorian average of 58 per cent and the regional large council average of 57 per cent.

The proportion of residents who were highly satisfied also increased from 19 per cent to 28 per cent, while dissatisfaction fell from 29 per cent to 18 per cent.

Councillor Luke Sharrock said the results showed community confidence was moving in the right direction.

“It’s good to see that there’s a number of very satisfied and that’s great to see,” Cr Sharrock said.

He said the results also highlighted areas where council could continue improving.

Road maintenance and repairs remained the biggest issue identified by residents, with 68 per cent nominating roads as a key concern.

Councillors also noted improvements in community engagement, with satisfaction regarding opportunities to engage or be consulted on council decisions reaching 58 per cent.

Customer service satisfaction rose to 65 per cent, while waste services remained one of the council's strongest performing areas.

The survey also found differences in satisfaction between residents, with councillors discussing the relatively positive results among renters.

Almost half of renters surveyed were very satisfied with council overall, while 16 per cent were dissatisfied.

Councillors welcomed the improved results, but were quick to note that the gains should not come at the expense of those residents who remain unhappy with the services council delivers.

Cr Mitchell pointed to the 18 per cent dissatisfaction rate and the continued concern over roads, saying the results should be viewed as an opportunity to identify where further improvements were needed.

The survey drew on a contact pool of more than 12,000 Campaspe residents, with 402 completing the full questionnaire — providing a statistically sound basis for the findings.

Council said the findings would directly shape its priorities going forward, helping pinpoint where services and community engagement needed to be strengthened in the year ahead.

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Wednesday, 31st December 2031

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