Ashfield Municipal Council

1
Ashfield Municipal Council

• RESIDENT COMMUNITY SURVEY
• BUSINESS COMMUNITY SURVEY
• 2007
• Conducted by
• OWL RESEARCH MARKETING

2
Methodology

• Resident Study
• Telephone interviewed 300
• residents (75 per ward)
• Conducted 1 Chinese Focus Group (9 participants)
• Business Study
• Telephone interviewed 51 local
• businesses (17 in each of Ashfield, Haberfield,
  Summer Hill)
• Conducted 1 Business Focus Group
• (10 participants)
• Survey conducted May 2007

3
The Business Study
4
The Business Study

• Types of Businesses
• 33 Office services
• 24 Retail shops
• 10 Factory/manufacturer
• 6 Restaurant / take away
• 27 Other (Nursing home, motel,
• construction, wholesaler etc)

5
Parking

• 27 of businesses are affected by parking issues
  particularly in Summer Hill.
• Areas of concern
• Insufficient roadside parking 50
• Insufficient car park parking 43
• Clearway restrictions 36
• Poor lighting in car parking areas 29
• Poor quality car parking areas 21

6
Shop Appearance

• To overcome poor exterior appearances
• More active in cleaning off
• posters / graffiti 75
• 2. Insist shops carry their name in
• English as well as language
• of origin 66
• 3. Issue fines on health and safety
• standards 65
• 4. Introduce and enforce minimum
• standard for all shop exteriors 49

7
Encouraging Business Growth

• 76 of business would welcome an E.D.O.
• Create a Business Awards program 49
• Produce / distribute a local business
• directory 45
• Streamline access and information on
• various business / planning approvals 43

8
Business Waste and Recycling

• Currently 16 (of the 51) businesses pay for
• Councils business waste collection (7.14)
• 35 businesses do not use this service
• 8 businesses also use the free
• fortnightly recycling service.
• 14 businesses would pay for a separate
• recycling service if available

9
Recommendations

• Business Study

10
Recommendations

• Appoint the new Economic Development Officer
  A.S.A.P
• 2. Introduce a Business Award
• to encourage enterprise.
• Undertake some upgrading of shopping areas.
• 4. Introduce a Good Citizen Award
• to encourage Civic pride.

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Promotion

• Develop a Business Directory to promote local
  business.
• Mail it out to encourage networking.
• 3. Put it on the website and
• hot-link it to each business website.
• 4. Introduce a Business Newsletter for greater
  communication

12
Attractions !

• Re introduce a series of Festivals.
• Chinese in Ashfield
• Italian in Haberfield
• Arts in Summer Hill
• To attract visitors from
• outside the area.

13
Planning

• Develop a Business Council
• Planning Committee
• to debate and develop solutions
• to business issues
• such as parking.

14
Residents Study
15
A Professional Organization

• Rating of Council as a Professional Organization
• Overall satisfaction (Residents) 6.76 out of
  10
• Overall satisfaction (Businesses) 6.67 out of 10
• Hornsby 6.89 Bathurst 7.30
• Albury 7.17 Baulkham Hills 6.70

16
Customer Service

• 44 of sample contacted Council
• in past 12 months
• 69 by phone / 35 visited Council offices
• Of those that phoned - 28 were referred on two
  or three times before finding the right person to
  talk to.
• Of those who visited Council 70 of visitors
  to Council had their query dealt with by the
  person at the counter

17
Customer Service

• Rating Council for Customer Service (out of 10)
• Courtesy 7.99
• Knowledge 7.45
• Handling of enquiry 7.46
• Overall service 7.70
• Areas for improvement
• Awareness of Council regulations (7)
• Please acknowledge calls/letters (5)
• More staff / less queues (5)

18
Communications

• Councils Quarterly Newsletter
• 72 read / looked through this publication
• Rated at 6.71 out of 10 for being a valuable
• tool in finding out about local Council and
• Community news.

19
Communications

• Page 6 advertisement
• Inner West Courier.
• 47 Residents aware of advertisement.
• (37 Business respondents aware)
• Approx 1/3rd of sample (108 residents)
• Read / glance at it on a regular basis.

20
Communications

• The Internet
• 37 (of 237 respondents who had internet access)
  had
• visited Councils website.
• 50 of under 40 year old residents interviewed
• want to conduct business with Council via the
• net.
• 30 - 39 of total sample want to pay rates,
• D.A applications, tree applications etc via
• the net.

21
Recreation and Leisure

• Residents seem very happy with parks /sports
  fields in the area .
• Scores range from 6.33 7.08 out of 10 for
  location, condition of landscaping, play
  equipment etc.
• 35 of sample had used Aquatic Centre in past 12
  months (mostly by under 40 year olds)
• High satisfaction scores for
• The pool and its surrounds 7.90
• Programs offered 7.31
• Services offered 7.47

22
Environment

• Respondents were asked to rate their Importance
• and Performance scores on the following-
• Local waterways, noise pollution, community
• education on water / energy usage, improving
• bicycle network, protection of natural
• environment.
• Priority for improvement
• Education of water/energy usage
• Improve quality of local waterways
• Bicycle network

23
Waste and Recycling

• Weekly garbage 8.50
• Fortnightly recycling 8.40
• Twice yearly clean-ups 8.09
• 50 awareness of 4 free individually
• booked collections.(1/2 of those aware had used
  service in past)
• 74 prepared to separate of food / garden
• organics from general household waste.

24
Waste and Recycling

• Illegal dumping
• Be stricter / enforce the law
• Increase Council clean ups.
• Undertake more education

25
Council Services

• Respondents were asked to rate their Importance
• and Performance scores on the following-
• Control of dogs, condition of footpaths, local
• traffic, local roads, storm water drainage and
• street trees.
• Priority for attention
• Condition of footpaths
• 2. Overall condition of local roads
• (upkeep and maintenance)
• 3. Policing and /or restriction of traffic on
• local roads

26
Childrens Services

• Holiday activities for children
• low performance score
• 5.90 out of 10
• Facilities for youths/young adults
• 6.35 out of 10

27
Aged and Disability Services

• Most critical services
• Council should be providing
• Free hire of Community bus
• Level footpaths/ramps
• Seniors Social Groups
• Meals of Wheels
• Home Help
• Health care/services

28
Inter-Cultural Harmony

• Residents pleased with Councils promotion of
• inter-cultural harmony.
• 7.42 out of 10 satisfaction score

29
Library

• 56 of sample use one or other of
• the 2 libraries.
• High satisfaction ratings on
• Friendly/helpful staff 8.15
• Opening hours 8.02
• Individual seating 7.03
• Access to computers 6.43

30
Planning and Development

• Only 9 of sample had lodged a D.A within
• previous 2 years.
• Satisfaction ratings low 4.07 out of 10.
• (Due to red tape, slowness, lack of information.)
• 69 of sample aware of Heritage Advisory Service.
• 24 had used service.
• Moderate satisfaction with service 5.88 out of
  10.

31
Planning and Development

• (What do you see as the.)
• Major Town Planning issues for Council
• (in order of number of mentions)
• Development / infrastructure
• (overdevelopment / poor quality etc)
• Traffic / parking
• (congestion / lack of parking etc)
• Graffiti / unclean
• (refurbishing needed / stricter control with
  shopkeepers etc)
• Environment
• ( lack of public spaces / improve streetscapes
  etc)

32
Recommendations

• Residential

33
Weekly advertisement Inner West Courier
Currently too bland and therefore not being
noticed engender more colour, photos, points of
interest into this advertisement.Make it more
meaningful to residents.

• Communications

34
Interaction with the Community

• Council staff (and Councillors)
• to spend more time in the Community
• Upgrade Council website to allow for more
  interactive responses from the public e.g. paying
  rates,
• filling out forms.

35
Signage

• Introduce multi-lingual directional signs for-
• Customer Service
• Library
• Community Services

36
Environment

• Priorities for improvement
• Education of water/energy usage
• Improve quality of local waterways
• Bicycle network

37
Illegal Dumping

• Adopt a stricter policy when dealing with illegal
  dumpers
• (including dogs!)

38
Council Services

• Priorities for attention
• Condition of footpaths
• 2. Overall condition of local roads
• (upkeep and maintenance)
• 3. Policing and /or restriction of traffic on
  local roads

39
Festivals/Youth

• Use the bi-annual Community Festival
• to give Council a higher profile.
• Develop a Youth Council to meet and
• plan activities.
• (To drive the Youth Grants Scheme)

40
Red Tape

• Review the D.A. process
• Explain its workings and procedures
• Consult and be flexible
• (case by case)

41
Town Planning Issues

• Development / Infrastructure
• Traffic / Parking
• Graffiti / Dirty Pavements
• Environment

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Ashfield Municipal Council

• RESIDENT COMMUNITY SURVEY
• BUSINESS COMMUNITY SURVEY
• 2007
• Conducted by
• OWL RESEARCH MARKETING