Residents' opinion survey results provide food for thought

The annual results of our survey of more than 800 Kāpiti Coast residents and ratepayers shows satisfaction with Council’s performance remains at a good level overall but has dropped in some areas since last year.  

The Council surveys quarterly, and the combined results of the 2020/21 Residents Opinion Survey were presented at the Strategy and Operations Committee meeting yesterday and are available to read on the Council website.  

Overall, 74 per cent of those surveyed said they were satisfied with Council’s performance. This compares an overall satisfaction score of 80 per cent for the 2019/20 year.  

Kāpiti District Mayor K Gurunathan says the last year has been particularly difficult with key issues and challenges being felt across the district.  

“We know the recent rates increase agreed through our recent Long-term Plan process was not well-received by some in our community and this is reflected in some of the survey results,” Mr Gurunathan says.   

“We are at a point where action is needed to make sure we secure our district’s future in response to COVID-19, climate change and continued population growth.  

“Taking steps to address these issues, which are outlined in the recently adopted Long-term Plan 2021-41, can be worrying for some but are necessary if we are to thrive as a community in years to come.  

“We also acknowledge concerns raised by the community and elected members about how some decisions about the Te Uruhi project were made and communicated and this is also reflected in the survey results.”  

The survey also showed high satisfaction with the quality of our water supply and the community support available, and reaffirmed that people continue to love and enjoy the facilities Council provides like our libraries, swimming pools and our cycling, walking and bridle paths.  

“People love the Kāpiti life and Council is committed to doing its bit to make it a great place to live, work and play. We’ll take the lessons from the survey on board and make changes where we need to address key issues.”  

Chief executive Wayne Maxwell says the overall result shows room for improvement.  

“The result isn’t what we aspire to but provides us with a good benchmark to help prioritise our efforts. Elected members are keen to workshop the issue to look at what we might do differently,” Mr Maxwell says.  

“The survey is one of several tools used to provide the Council with important feedback. We hear from the community in many ways and use information gathered from a range of sources to measure our performance.  

“We thank everyone who participated for their time and consideration.”  

Visit kapiticoast.govt.nz/residentssurvey to find the survey report.