DCC: 2014 Residents’ Opinion Survey (ROS)

Dunedin City Council – Media Release
Tell Us What You Think!

This item was published on 20 May 2014

Letters will be sent out this week to 4,500 Dunedin residents, inviting them to take part in the DCC’s annual Residents’ Opinion Survey (ROS). DCC Acting General Manager Services and Development Nicola Pinfold says, “The ROS provides a host of useful information and helps us gauge the views of residents who may be less likely to tell us what they think in other ways, such as the Annual Plan process.”

Last year, the residents randomly selected from the electoral roll were invited to complete the ROS online using a unique code, rather than receiving a hard copy of the questionnaire. A hard copy was made available on request. This was successful in raising the response rate and cutting costs so the same approach is being taken this year.

The survey is also open to all residents online at www.dunedin.govt.nz/ros and will be sent to all members of the Dunedin Peoples’ Panel. To ensure the statistical validity of the ROS results, the responses from the people who were selected are used as the official results.

“We have been using this Survey for 20 years and it has become a key tool for us to assess how well we are doing, and ultimately guiding our planning and decision-making. ROS focuses on how well we deliver our services, and asks questions about residents’ perceptions of our performance. Some of the results are used as official measures of the Council’s performance for audit purposes. But equally importantly, the feedback is used by staff and the Council to guide our thinking about how we might best deliver services to better meet the needs of Dunedin’s residents.” –Nicola Pinfold

█ The Survey is open until 18 June. A reminder letter and hard copy of the questionnaire will be sent to those who haven’t responded about two weeks after the initial letter, a practice that has proved successful in increasing the response rate. The results are expected to be publicly available in late July.

█ Responses from residents who independently chose to complete the Survey online are analysed separately but still provide the DCC with valuable feedback about how it can improve its services.

For the second year, all respondents will have the opportunity to enter a draw to win a prize. Each prize is worth about $150 and three winners will be drawn who will be able to choose from a range of prizes, including vouchers, swim passes or a donation to a charity of their choice. The Survey, which costs about $40,000, will be undertaken by independent research company Key Research. The results of last year’s ROS can also be viewed at www.dunedin.govt.nz/ros

Contact DCC Acting General Manager Services and Development on 03 477 4000.
DCC Link

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Related Posts and Comments:
9.5.14 DCC Draft Annual Plan 2014/15 Submission by Bev Butler
7.5.14 DCC Draft Annual Plan 2014/15 hearings
11.4.14 DCC Draft Annual Plan 2014/15 Submissions due by 15 April
20.1.14 DCC Draft Annual Plan 2014/15
9.9.13 Residents’ dissatisfaction (2013) with elected council and mayor —increase!
27.6.13 State of the City —DCC or Dunedin? [see comment]
8.10.12 2012 Residents’ Opinion Survey: DCC spooks massage Cull, for sheep
13.6.12 DCC: 2012 Residents Opinion Survey

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
 

Residents’ dissatisfaction (2013) with elected council and mayor —increase!

2013 Residents’ Opinion Survey —DCC webpage
● Residents’ Opinion Survey 2013 Report (PDF, 3.1 MB)
● Residents’ Opinion Survey 2013 Summary (PDF, 261.4 KB)

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Comment received.

Calvin Oaten
Submitted on 2013/09/04 at 8:11 pm

A bit of a perusal of the survey outcomes is a bit of an upturn in almost all categories since 2012. Excuse the cynicism but could this possibly be due to it being election year? I did notice one category which hasn’t been mentioned in the media, or anywhere else for that matter. But it is there in the summary and it is the fact that ‘satisfaction with the elected council and mayor’ is way down on last year. Funny that.

Satisfaction with Council Activities (Summary, page 4)
[click to enlarge]

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Meanwhile, only the good news via DCC Spooks and Allied Press…

### ODT Online Sun, 8 Sep 2013
Satisfaction may hit vote
By Dan Hutchinson – The Star
The Dunedin City Council’s just-released resident opinion survey suggests its residents are a relatively satisfied bunch – but what do the results suggest for democracy? It appears most Dunedin residents are satisfied with their council but that might not necessarily be a good thing with an election less than three weeks away. The Dunedin City Council Resident Opinion Survey released this week shows 54% of the 1212 people surveyed were satisfied with the council’s performance – up from 39% last year.
Associate Professor Janine Hayward, of the University of Otago’s Department of Politics, said high satisfaction levels were one of two main reasons for low voter turnout at elections. […] She said the other main reason was when people felt they could not change anything because they did not like the status quo.
The possible lack of interest in local government was highlighted again on Monday [last] week when the council’s six-weekly public forum was cancelled because no-one wanted to speak.
Read more

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Related Posts and Comments:
22.8.13 DCC website: Candidate profiles
16.8.13 DCC nominations —All the mops, brooms and feather dusters

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

State of the City —DCC or Dunedin?

ODT LATEST
Carisbrook sold, down by Christmas
Calder Stewart has been confirmed as the new owner of Carisbrook, with a condition of the sale being its demolition by Christmas. Council Chief Executive Paul Orders today confirmed the purchase had been finalised, saying: “It is pleasing the due diligence process has been completed and that the sale has been confirmed.”
In a variation to the original agreement, the historic brick turnstiles, plus 400m2, have been given back to the DCC at no cost, apart from minimal shared surveying costs. This recognises the New Zealand Historic Places Trust classification of the turnstiles and creates the potential for a ‘pocket park’ to be formed.
Calder Stewart will pay $3.5 million for Carisbrook, with $200,000 to be refunded by the DCC as long as all the buildings, apart from the hospitality complex, are demolished within six months.
Read more

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DCC Media Release
Now that the transaction has been completed, a large number of documents relating to both the original purchase and subsequent sale of Carisbrook, will be released publicly later next week on the DCC website.

### ch9.co.nz June 27, 2013 – 6:40pm
Residents to give view on state of city
Dunedin residents are about to be called on to give their views on the state of the city. Video

### ch9.co.nz June 27, 2013 – 6:33pm
First stage of public process begins
The first stage of a public process to develop an Energy Plan for the city began last night. Video

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Images: (top) Dunedin Jan-03 flyinn.co.nz (bottom) mastermaintenance.co.nz

Not happy UNTIL . . . #ROS 2011

The Dunedin City Council books have been fully opened for forensic audit and independent investigations of conflicts of interest, governance decisions, council-owned companies, and more have been completed.

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One area where satisfaction levels were not improving was respondents’ perception of Dunedin as a thriving city; only 29% agreed it was, the same as last year, but down from 50% in 2006.

### ODT Online Fri, 15 Jul 2011
Residents happier with DCC
By David Loughrey
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull was wearing a satisfied smile yesterday, following the release of a residents’ opinion survey that showed a sharp increase in public satisfaction with his council. Acting chief executive Athol Stephens was also basking in the glow of a result that showed 63% of residents were satisfied with his staff, up 11% from last year. […] Satisfaction with the overall performance of the council increased significantly, with 46% of respondents satisfied with their council, and 17% dissatisfied, compared with 35% and 38% last year.
Read more

Related Post:
25.4.11 Oh wait, you mean…

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Oh wait, you mean…. | 2011 Residents’ Opinion Survey

Where’s the fun.

### ODT Online Mon, 25 Apr 2011
Survey about rating services not councillors
By Chris Morris
The Dunedin City Council is again asking Dunedin residents to rate the council’s performance, with the unveiling of the 2011 Residents’ Opinion Survey. However, this year’s survey launch last week also came with a request from council acting chief executive Athol Stephens for disgruntled members of the public not to use the opportunity to have a crack at elected representatives. The 4500 surveys were due to begin arrive in randomly-selected Dunedin letterboxes at the long weekend.
Read more

Media Release 21 Apr 2011
Dunedin City Council 2011 Residents Opinion Survey

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC: Residents’ Opinion Survey

WAS IT GOOD FOR YOU

From the council website:

“A select group of 4500 residents were randomly selected to complete the Survey. These residents received a printed copy of the Survey questionnaire between 30 April and 7 May 2010 and may also [have chosen] to complete the Survey online.

To ensure the statistical validity of the Survey results, responses from residents randomly selected to complete the survey [were] analysed separately to responses from residents who independently chose to complete the survey.

[The] survey closed on Friday, 28 May 2010.”

2010 RESULTS
2010 Residents’ Opinion Survey Results (PDF, 1.7mb, open in new window)

2009 RESULTS
2009 Residents’ Opinion Survey Results (PDF, 950kb, open in new window)
Summary points (PDF, 250kb, open in new window)

Last reviewed: 14 Jul 2010 9:17am

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DScene – wtf the survey’s wrong?

Register to read D Scene online at http://fairfaxmedia.newspaperdirect.com/

### DScene 14.7.10
Dissatisfaction trendy: council (page 4)
By Wilma McCorkindale
Disliking Dunedin City Council is trendy, the DCC believes. The latest Residents Opinion Survey gave several aspects of the council’s performance the thumbs down – but that could be because dissatisfaction was trendy this year, an executive summary said.
{continues} #bookmark

Council reviewing card (page 5)
By Wilma McCorkindale
Dunedin City Council (DCC) is reviewiing its managerial credit card use because $7000 worth of coffees bought by staff appear questionable.
{continues} #bookmark

Purchasing cards were introduced a number of years ago to improve efficiencies in the council’s accounts payable system, reducing manual invoicing, and to increase the transparency of staff spending. The resulting savings had been equivalent to the cost of employing a full time staff member.
-Jim Harland, Chief Executive

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Talk: Dunedin on Dunedin (page 8)
Letters to the editor
Tourism Campaign by John Milburn, Owner, Monarch Wildlife Cruises
Re Tourism Campaign Disappointing (D Scene, 30/6/2010). It is unfortunate that this article was perthaps less than balanced and contained a number of inaccuracies. Whilst the campaign may not have done a lot for accommodation providers, it was a success for a number of tourism operators.
{continues} #bookmark

Plod’s patch With Paul Kennedy (page 9)
Policing Carisbrook
Part of community policing encompasses working at major sporting events with the latest being the recent farewell All Black test against the Welsh at Carisbrook.
{continues} #bookmark

-What if? Eds. We love this quote! FuBar for the one person crowd.

“Getting into the middle of the terraces to make an arrest or eviction was always a difficult logistical task which won’t be an issue at The Forsyth Barr Stadium with its one seat, one person layout cutting out the rough and tumble of days gone by on the terraces.” -Paul Kennedy

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Note: “Fubar” is an acronym for “Fucked up beyond all repair” or “Fucked up beyond all recognition”. The stadium and the survey have something in common?

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC: Residents’ Opinion Survey – complete it online

### ODT Online Sat, 1 May 2010
DCC sends out 4500 residents’ survey forms
Dunedin, it is time to rate your council’s performance. The annual Dunedin City Council residents’ opinion survey was launched yesterday as the first of 4500 surveys were posted out to randomly selected participants. The survey can also be completed, by both those who receive a survey in the mail and those who do not, online at http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/your-council/residents-opinion-survey
Read more

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PARKING IS NOT SOLVED

### ODT Online Sat, 1 May 2010
Editorial: DCC common sense
Few issues arouse public attention like parking. Most adults have access to cars, and most at some stage or another look for parking spaces. So when the Dunedin City Council planned changes, it was foolish not to be at its most wary, careful and sensible. Right from the start, the council and councillors seemed to be blind to the extent of what they were doing – and the devil in both the detail and the bigger picture.
Read more

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COMPLETE WEIRDNESS
Take a bee, a rooster and you get a sheep…

### ODT Online Wed, 28 Apr 2010
Picking up sheep droppings ‘completely nuts’
By Chris Morris
The Dunedin City Council is considering rules which would force some property owners to collect the little black offerings left behind by animals, including sheep, pigs and goats.
Read more

If we let Mr Guest become Mayor of Dunedin expect more of this oddity – and ODT will never be the same.

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Posted by Elizabth Kerr