Community satisfaction lifts across key services
Published on 10 September 2025
Seventy five percent of Whanganui’s residents say they are satisfied, or very satisfied with council staff, while satisfaction in waste and recycling services has grown to sixty-two percent, following the introduction of kerbside recycling in July 2024.
The results are in for Whanganui District Council’s latest Community Views Survey, showing improvements in a range of council services and facilities, with satisfaction levels rising strongly compared to 2024.
The survey, which is conducted annually, measures how residents view council services and community wellbeing.
Whanganui District Council chief executive, David Langford, says the results reflect both recent investment and the organisation’s commitment to listening to the community.
“It’s really encouraging to see public satisfaction increasing across so many areas. These results show that when we invest in services the community values - like recycling, roads, parks and customer service - people notice the difference,” Mr Langford says.
Key improvements from 2024 include:
• Waste and recycling services - satisfaction rose from 41% to 62%.
• Local roads - satisfaction increased from 39% to 51%.
• Parks and open spaces - satisfaction lifted from 64% to 75%.
• Sportsgrounds - satisfaction rose from 71% to 77%.
• Public art - satisfaction grew from 57% to 67%.
• Libraries - library visits increased from 53% to 60%.
• Satisfaction with the Mayor and Councillors rose from 30% to 43%
• Satisfaction with council staff grew to from 66% to 75%.
• Community engagement - more residents reported being involved in council decision-making, with the proportion of people not engaged falling from 56% to 40%.
Mr Langford says the improvements show the organisation is on the right track but acknowledges there is more to do.
“These results are a positive step forward, but we’re not complacent. Our internal management strategy is all about becoming a high-performance organisation that strives for operational excellence and continuously improves. The survey also tells us where the community expects us to improve, such as public toilets and consents, and we will be focusing on those areas over the next year,” he says.
The Community Views Survey is conducted independently by research company Versus, with input from Council. Results are used to track performance against the Council’s Long-Term Plan and to guide future priorities.
A full report can be found here.