General News
11 June, 2026
Community raised road concerns
Hopetoun residents have given the Yarriambiack Shire Council a mixed but improving report card, with the latest local government Community Satisfaction Survey showing stronger overall confidence in the council’s performance but ongoing concern about sealed local roads.
The 2026 survey gave Yarriambiack Shire an overall performance score of 61, above the small rural council average of 60 and the statewide average for participating councils of 57.
Hopetoun residents rated the council’s overall performance at 60, up from 54 last year.
Mayor Andrew McLean welcomed the result and said the survey showed the council was moving in the right direction.
“These results are encouraging and demonstrate the progress we are making across a broad range of services,” he said.
“It’s particularly pleasing to see improvements in key areas such as community engagement, consultation and overall council direction.”
The survey, conducted by JWS Research, included 400 completed interviews with Yarriambiack Shire residents aged 18 or older.
Fieldwork spanned four quarters, from June 30, 2025, to March 15, 2026.
Across the shire, the council improved in 11 of the 12 measured performance areas, while customer service remained stable.
The highest scores were in recreational facilities, waste management, and elderly support services.
In Hopetoun, residents rated recreational facilities at 67, waste management at 66, business and community development and tourism at 59, and community decisions at 59.
Hopetoun’s rating for overall council direction also rose strongly, reaching 52 after sitting at 42 in 2025.
However, sealed local roads remain the clear pressure point.
Hopetoun residents gave sealed local roads a score of 37, the lowest rating among the shire’s geographic groups.
While that result improved from 32 last year, it remains below Yarriambiack’s overall roads score of 42, the small rural average of 48 and the statewide participating council average of 46.
Cr McLean said the council understood the concern.
“We acknowledge that road conditions are a key concern for our community,” he said.
“While council continues to prioritise investment in our local road network, many of the issues raised relate to state-managed roads.
“We will continue to advocate strongly to both State and Federal Governments for increased funding to address our road renewal gap and improve outcomes for our region.”
The report found sealed local roads were the council’s lowest-rated service area overall, despite a seven-point improvement from 2025.
The council has also kept an extra survey question asking residents to identify specific roads of concern, aiming to use local feedback to guide future planning.
Cr McLean said the results would help shape the council’s next priorities.
"Community feedback is central to our decision-making," he said.
"These results will help shape our priorities, ensuring we continue to deliver services that meet the needs and expectations of our community.