SAFETY, crime, traffic and parking remain high on the list of complaints by Maribyrnong residents, but libraries, waste collection and community centres have all received a tick.
The latest annual community satisfaction survey shows that satisfaction with Maribyrnong Council’s performance has hit its highest level in five years.
About 800 residents rated the council on 33 services and facilities, giving a score of 6.59 out of 10.
The result was the highest since 2007 and similar to other councils across Melbourne, though it was above the western suburbs average.
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Footscray West and Kingsville residents were most satisfied, with Maidstone and Maribyrnong residents least impressed.
Key findings included improved perceptions of safety and fewer residents reporting syringes in public areas.
But more than one in three residents still feels unsafe around the Footscray CBD at night (37.6 per cent) and one in five (21.2 per cent) feels unsafe at night in public areas around Maribyrnong. Women in particular reported feeling unsafe.
Engagement with the council was found to be low, with only 15 per cent of people able to name John Cumming as mayor at the time of the survey.
There was a lift in satisfaction with the way the council seeks community opinion and feedback, but the survey found there was “still a relatively large proportion dissatisfied with this aspect of governance and leadership”. Mayor Catherine Cumming said the results reflected a renewed focus on maintaining public areas.
Residents want the council to act on “traffic management” (18 per cent, down from 28.6 per cent last year), “safety, policing and crime” (12.9 per cent, down from 33.2 per cent), and “car parking” (10 per cent, down from 16.3 per cent).
