Tasman District Council gets a 75% Approval Rating

Nearly three-quarters of Tasman residents are satisfied with the way rates are spent on services and facilities provided by Council within the District is the headline result from the independent annual customer survey undertaken by the National Research Bureau for the Council.

“While this is a pleasing result, there is still a group of just over 20% who were conversely not very satisfied”, said Tasman Mayor Richard Kempthorne.

“We know, and it is just the nature of Local Government, we will never satisfy all residents but that does not mean that full satisfaction is not a target for us.

“When compared to other similar Councils we are certainly doing better, but we cannot rest on our laurels. The survey will help us to identify where our community thinks we are doing well and the areas where we can improve.

“It is clear that we must do more to identify ways to further consult and inform Tasman residents and ratepayers and we have been working towards this for some time now the success of which is reflected in our ratings.

“What is interesting is the level of positive feedback we have received regarding our initiatives and work to preserve and enhance the lifestyle in Tasman. Through the development of parks, walkways, beautifications and restorations and access to and protection of natural areas we are enhancing the ability of residents to enjoy what the District has to offer. We will certainly continue to deliver this”, concluded Mayor Kempthorne.

Within the survey residents were asked where they would like to see more money spent as part of the Council’s Long Term Planning process. Responses provided valuable input and reflected much of the work the Council is doing already through support for:

• rivers and flood protection (45%);
• walkways and cycleways (32%);
• roads (31%);
• footpaths (30%);
• emergency management/civil defence (30%);
• environmental education (27%);
• public toilets (26%);
• managing pests and weeds (25%).

About the Survey

A total of 401 residents over 18 years of age were surveyed, with the interviews conducted spread across the five wards and across various age brackets to ensure a representative sample. There was a margin of error of +/- 4%.

Download the full survey results