Residents rate satisfaction and quality of life in Whanganui

Published on 10 August 2021

Most Whanganui residents say they are satisfied with living in Whanganui and feel their standard of living is good or extremely good, according to a survey carried out this year.

Whanganui District Council’s annual Community Views Survey was conducted during March and April 2021 and the council’s general manager – corporate Stephanie Macdonald-Rose, says it was pleasing to see improved responses in a number of areas.

“The number of residents who rated their standard of living as good or extremely good has increased from 80% last year to 85% this year.”

She says, “84% of residents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with living in Whanganui and 91% felt their quality of life had either improved or remained the same as last year. These results also showed an increase from the previous year.”

Stephanie Macdonald-Rose says the survey primarily measures residents’ satisfaction with council services and facilities, including their ability to access information and their involvement in decision-making. “The survey also gauges residents’ perceived quality of life in Whanganui through a variety of measures.”

• 90% of residents felt that what the district provided was either better (25%) or the same (65%) as last year.
• 80% of residents were satisfied with the contribution that the CBD makes to the lifestyle and image of Whanganui (71% last year).
• 80% of residents were satisfied with public art, an increase of 14% from last year.
• 82% of residents were satisfied with the ease of travelling around Whanganui, up from 75% last year.
• 91% of the community indicated they could survive for at least three days in an emergency without outside assistance, up 5% on the previous year.

She says COVID-19 continues to have an impact on business, events, facilities and community activities.

“This year we saw a drop in the number of residents who used a sportsground, used, visited or attended an event at Cooks Gardens or were satisfied with community sportsgrounds.

“However the council recently ran a parks and open spaces survey to which 360 residents responded.   This survey provided a rich amount of information which the council is currently digesting and will use to inform a revised  parks and open spaces strategy. This is intended to include recreation opportunities and address the community’s feedback.”

Satisfaction with the Royal Whanganui Opera House also saw a decline in the last year. Stephanie Macdonald-Rose says, “We believe this to be due to a number of events being cancelled or postponed during COVID-19 alert level changes this year and last. We’ve taken the opportunity to repaint the Opera House this year and we expect to see an uptick in events in future years as COVID-19 pressures ease.”

She says the survey showed the breadth of work the council does. “From libraries, cultural facilities, sportgrounds, parks and playgrounds to waste and litter control, roads and footpaths, animal management, property services, emergency management and communications, there is a lot going on!

“Acrosss the board these activities have very high targets, but where these haven’t been reached, we are certainly seeing some positive improvements in community perceptions compared with previous years.”   

The Community Views Survey was undertaken by Versus Research on behalf of Whanganui District Council.