The Whakatāne District Council’s annual community survey is now underway.

Undertaken by the National Research Bureau, the Communitrak survey poses a series of questions about Council services and facilities to a random selection of 300 residents. The survey results, in combination with other information sources, allow the Council to assess community perceptions about service quality, spending priorities and community issues.

General Manager Strategy and Economic Development, Julie Gardyne, says that while the Council’s normal community engagement activities provide useful information about stakeholder perceptions, the annual survey provides a reliable measure of the wider community’s views and helps to highlight any positive or negative trends.

The survey process will take about a week to complete and involves telephone interviews with respondents from across the District’s four community board areas, on a population pro-rata basis. Interviews can take up to 20 minutes to complete.

The 2018 survey results will be supplemented by a new online survey option, which will be open to any interested participants. Information will be made available via the Council’s social media platforms, with participation open through until early August.

Ms Gardyne says this additional feedback avenue will ensure the widest possible participation and provide a benchmark to assess the telephone survey results against.