Shire of Augusta-Margaret River election candidates air views on contentious Community Perceptions Survey

Candidates for this year’s Shire of Augusta-Margaret River election have expressed mixed views on a key survey which gave the local government a black eye earlier this year. The Community Perceptions Survey saw the shire drop to 24 out of the State’s 44 surveyed local governments, down from 16th in the 2019 survey. While the consultation included some bouquets, key indicators included an eight-point drop in overall satisfaction with the local government. Former Chamber of Commerce president Melissa d’Ath said the survey showed a disconnect between residents and the local government. “Customer service, value for ratepayers’ money, thoughtful and sustainable developments, and the efficiency of the planning department were some of the key issues,” she said. “I want to ensure these remain the focal point. “The shire and council are there to listen to and serve the community.” Augusta-based Nicki Jones disagreed the survey results were poor, considering the lingering effects of the pandemic. “Value for money from council rates is a concern to the participants of the survey (at) nine points lower than the industry average, so I see definite room for improvement,” she said. “The council needs to ensure the shire’s finances are managed with due diligence and keep rate rises to a minimum.” Greg Boland, a former Town of Cottesloe councillor, said the survey showed work was needed in multiple areas, particularly listening and respecting community viewpoints and explaining council decisions. But digging into the figures showed results varied depending on location. “Clearly there is a perception that there is some lack of consideration by the shire of the needs and views generally, and more particularly outside the Margaret River area,” he said. Mr Boland also said those sentiments were reflected during his election campaign. Initiatives like the Cuppa with a Councillor sessions were a good step forward, and ones he looked forward to embracing if elected. Shire president Paula Cristoffanini said she wanted another term to continue implementing changes stemming from the survey results. But she also saw the pandemic and subsequent growth as major challenges that had “required our community to continuously pivot and adapt”. The survey triggered a review and new strategic direction for the shire, which included a restructure and “an ambitious set of targets” for the chief executive. “There is no getting away from the fact that the large geographical area which is our shire, with many ‘places’ or settlements, and a lot of legacy infrastructure has a small ratepayer base,” she said. “But we can always be smarter in the way we do things, involve the community more in the choices and dilemmas facing us, communicate decisions more clearly, and be stronger on our advocacy for investment from other levels of government.” Candidate Reg Gillard said the “deterioration” from the 2019 survey results was a concern. “Voters are not happy with all that the council is doing, and they don’t feel their views are being aired in council,” he said. However, incumbent councillor Kylie Kennaugh played down the survey results. She said surveys were a valuable tool for critical feedback to identify areas for improvement and believed there was “always room for growth and enhancement”. Candidate Diane Fischer saw the survey as a genuine attempt by the shire to do its best, but questioned whether more strategies and policies were the right answer. “We are all human,” she said. “All we need to do is put aside the technology, leave the rule book alone for a moment, look into each other’s eyes and have a decent conversation. It’s as simple as that. “What we need to do is to change our approach so that we lose the divisive bureaucracy and engage with one another as genuinely and as openly as possible.” Ms d’Ath also wanted to see the shire become more “hands on” in the arts and activating the main street. Ms Jones applauded the shire’s website as an interactive hub providing “many options” for ratepayers to communicate.