General News
27 July, 2024
We promise to do better, again
Horsham Rural City Council CEO Sunil Bhalla acknowledged the 2024 community satisfaction survey "highlighted many areas for improvement".
In a prepared statement, Mr Bhalla said: “Waste management was identified as our worst performing area, dropping from 64 to 55.
"We understand that the four-bin service has been a significant change for our residents.
"We are dedicated to making necessary improvements to ease this transition."
However, he highlighted the lift in approval for customer service, saying it was pleasing to see HRCC’s commitment to serving its community demonstrated in the customer service rating, which climbed six points to a score of 62.
"This positive result is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff," he said.
Mr Bhalla said a decline in overall statewide average scores had been influenced by the cost of living crisis and the declining condition of state-managed roads, but that HRCC remained committed to enhancing its services.
“Looking forward, we are eager to build on the survey findings and continue to work diligently towards achieving better performance," he said.
"We appreciate the community’s feedback and will use it to guide our efforts in the coming year.”
Mayor Robyn Gulline said she was disappointed at not improving on the 2023 score, but said council’s overall performance rating had "stabilised" after experiencing a significant 11-point decline the previous year.
“The survey offers a crucial understanding of the areas where the council is seen to be performing well, and where focus is required,” Cr Gulline said.
“Compared to similar councils and across Victoria, numerous elements of these results are encouraging, although we acknowledge the overall decrease from the previous year.”
“Our goal is to be a top-tier council and organisation.
"Therefore, we will consider the survey findings and strive to do better in the identified areas, with the aim to improve our overall performance rating next year."