Bellingen Shire Council says community perceptions have improved across several key service areas, with more than 1,000 people sharing their views of the Council through the latest Community Pulse Scorecard.
Conducted by independent research company CATALYSE®, the Community Pulse Scorecard follows on from the initial study in 2024 and attracted responses from 1,089 community members throughout August 2026.
The Council says the strong community response provides valuable insight into its progress against the priorities identified in Our Plan for the Future, while also helping inform future priorities and budget decisions.
The results show positive movement across several areas since the previous survey, with communication, community engagement, festivals, markets and community events, water supply, and community buildings and halls among the most improved service areas.
Council leadership, financial management, customer service, planning services and sealed and unsealed roads also recorded improvements in community perceptions.
The Bellingen Shire also achieved a liveability score of 82, nine points above the industry average.
Mayor, Steve Allan welcomed the results and thanked the community for its participation.
“More than 1,000 people have taken the time to share their views, and I want to sincerely thank everyone who contributed,” Mayor Allan said.
“Our community helped shape Our Plan for the Future and this Scorecard gives us an opportunity to check back in and understand how people think we’re progressing against those priorities.
“It’s encouraging to see improvements across a range of services, particularly communication and community engagement. The feedback also highlights where community expectations remain high and where we need to continue improving.”
The Scorecard identified festivals, markets and community events, library facilities and services, community buildings and halls, arts and cultural activities, and reconciliation action among Council’s highest-performing areas.
However, the survey also highlighted areas where community perceptions remain lower, including public transport, unsealed roads, housing, planning services, economic development and weed management.
Mayor Allan acknowledged that some of these issues required collaboration beyond Council.
“While areas like public transport and housing are not entirely within Council’s control, they have a significant impact on people’s everyday lives,” he said.
“These findings help us understand where we need to continue working with other levels of government and local stakeholders to improve outcomes.”
Council’s General Manager, Mark Griffioen said the findings would provide an important source of evidence ahead of the 2027/28 budget planning process.
“The Scorecard helps us understand whether the work we’re delivering is translating into improvements in the community’s experience of our services,” Mr Griffioen said.
“While the results are encouraging, we need to consider community perceptions alongside our service delivery data, financial position and the broader context of each service area.
“As we prepare for the next budget, these insights will help us identify where our efforts are making a difference, where expectations remain high and where we may need to reconsider our priorities, resources or the way we deliver services.
“It’s also an opportunity to recognise the work happening across the organisation. Improvements in community sentiment reflect the collective effort of our staff in delivering projects, maintaining assets, and providing services to our community.”
The full 2026 Community Pulse Scorecard report is available on Council’s website along with an MARKYT Interactive website were results can be compared and viewed against 2024 results.
