Nelson City Council tops customer satisfaction rates in 2023/24 resident surveys

Nelson City Council’s 60% satisfaction rating in the 2023/24 residents’ survey is the highest overall satisfaction rate of all 18 councils surveyed by Key Research.

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith says the positive results reflect a Council that is working more collegially and the increased focus of staff on delivering good services and value for money for residents. 

“I am hugely encouraged that the overall satisfaction with Council has improved to 60%, up from 54% in 2023 and 51% in 2022 from when I was elected as Mayor. It is a huge achievement for Nelson City Council to have the top level of satisfaction of the 18 Councils that do this survey. 

“This survey highlights some of the key achievements we have made in the past year such as the major flood repair work, fixing and reopening Elma Turner Library and introducing the new eBus service, where satisfaction on flood protection has increased by 8%, library services by 10% and public transport by 27%. 

“You cannot please all of the people all of the time but it is also good to have dissatisfaction falling to 16%, down from 18% in 2023 and 21% in 2022. We will be drilling down into the detail of the survey on the areas of dissatisfaction to help us prioritise areas where we need to further lift Council’s performance.” 

 Among the key highlights: 

• Kerbside Recycling Collection: Council achieved an outstanding score of 85%, outperforming the benchmark average of 73% 
• Museums, Heritage Buildings and Galleries: an 80% satisfaction rating was achieved in this area 
• Parks and Recreation: Council performed well in this area, receiving a satisfaction rating of 74%, slightly above the benchmark average of 72% 
• Recycling services (overall): Nelson residents reported a 71% satisfaction rate with waste management and minimisation services, higher than the benchmark average of 67%.   

Acting Chief Executive Alec Louverdis says the results, particularly the overall satisfaction rate of 60%, were a testament to the hard work of Council staff and contractors.  

“Our community's satisfaction with key services, such as recycling and road safety, demonstrates the council’s ongoing commitment and dedication to providing high-quality services and improving our city's liveability.” 

The survey also highlighted areas where the community had some concerns, including looking after the natural environment, Three Waters infrastructure services and flood protection. Many of these areas have still seen upward trends in satisfaction on previous years and are in line with results experienced by the other councils surveyed. 

“While we are pleased with the overall results, we recognise there is always room for improvement, and we remain committed to addressing areas where we can do better," says Louverdis. 

“Planned projects like the upgrade to the city centre water ring main, upgrade of the Paru Paru wastewater pump station and the future infrastructure upgrade to Bridge Street as part of Bridge to Better show we are constantly looking to improve services, including our Three Waters capacity, in our city.

"Our plans for a city centre playspace in Rutherford Park should improve our community’s view on Council’s provision of playgrounds once work gets underway. We will continue striving to future-proof our infrastructure to meet the growing needs of the city while enhancing residents' everyday experiences.”