General News
7 August, 2025
Shire performed low in key areas
The Buloke Shire Council has shown a notable improvement in road maintenance; however, its performance has declined in seven other key services.
The recently concluded 2024 Community Satisfaction Survey results were noted at the shire’s July council meeting, acknowledging the findings present valuable insights and highlight specific areas for improvement.
Buloke Shire Council mayor Alan Getley said the council staff are committed to doing better in the future.
“These results don’t reflect the standard we want to meet,” he said.
“And we are committed to doing better.”
The Council’s best-performing area continues to be its recreational facilities, which community members frequently mention as the standout feature of Council services.
Waste management and the appearance of public areas also received relatively high ratings, followed by emergency and disaster management.
“We thank those who took the time to share their views,” Cr Getley said.
“Your feedback doesn’t fall on deaf ears.
“It drives the improvements we know we need to make.”
The Council reported a four-point increase in unsealed road maintenance compared to the 2023 result, which is the Council’s historically lowest-performing area.
The seven key areas in which the Council’s performance has declined include community decisions, local law enforcement, planning and building permits, lobbying, consultation and engagement, tourism and business and community development.
When benchmarked against other municipalities, Buloke Shire performs in line with State and Small Rural group averages on recreational facilities and State averages on waste management, but overall fell 12 and 13 points below the State and Small Rural areas for overall performance (41), respectively.
The Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey is conducted annually by JWS Research on behalf of the Department of Government Services.