Community feedback welcomed through annual survey

Published on 18 June 2025

Colac Otway Shire Council has released the results of its 2025 Community Satisfaction Survey.

The independent annual survey measures community perceptions of Council performance and delivery of key services, and provides valuable feedback to the organisation.

The survey seeks community views on a range of Council services and is benchmarked against both the state and other large rural councils.

This year’s survey revealed an eight-point increase in community perception of Council direction, which now sits above the large rural councils average.

Improvements were also seen in the areas of enforcement of local laws, and planning and building permits.

Council’s overall performance score of 47 is one point lower than the 2024 result. Council rates on par with large rural councils and state-wide on customer service, and in line with large rural councils for waste management, family support services, sealed local roads, consultation and engagement, and community decisions.

The 2025 results were relatively consistent with the 2024 results and highlight areas where the public perceive Council is performing well and areas for improvement.

A four-point drop in Council’s elderly support services may be attributed to uncertainty for clients and families around changes to service delivery in response to the Commonwealth Government’s aged care sector reforms.

The survey recommended Council focus on increasing communication and transparency with residents, highlighting decision making being in the community’s interest, and a stronger focus on consultation and engagement.

Full results of the 2025 survey can be found at the following link: 2025-Local-Government-Community-Satisfaction-Survey-Colac-Otway-Shire-Council.pdf(PDF, 3MB)