Waitaki Residents' Survey

Residents' Survey

The Residents’ Survey helps Council understand how residents view our performance and the services and facilities we provide. The results show us what is working well, where improvements are needed, and how we are performing against measures set through our planning and reporting processes.

Council delivers the survey with support from independent research provider Key Research, which collects and analyses the responses. The results are reported through Council’s Annual Report and are used to help guide service improvements and future decision-making.

The 2025-26 Residents’ Survey results are currently being finalised and will be published here soon. The latest results will provide an updated picture of residents’ views on Council services, facilities, performance and quality of life across the Waitaki District. Check back soon to explore the new results.

2024-25 Residents' Survey results

The 2024-25 survey shows that residents continue to value Waitaki’s quality of life and many Council facilities, while also identifying clear areas where Council needs to improve.

Residents reported the highest satisfaction with the Ōamaru Opera House (89%), overall quality of life in Waitaki (80%), and parks and reserves (80%).

Compared with 2023-24, satisfaction increased for the Ahuriri Community Board, the unsealed road network, public toilets, the Waihemo Community Board, the Aquatic Centre, and Council’s consultation with the community. However, the largest decreases were in overall performance, down 16 percentage points; overall reputation, down 14 points; confidence that Waitaki is going in the right direction, down 13 points; and overall leadership, down 12 points.

The areas receiving the lowest satisfaction ratings were rates being fair and reasonable (21%), overall value for money (25%), and Council’s overall performance (30%).

Explore the full 2024-25 Residents’ Survey results in the interactive dashboard above.