| Bendigo Wellbeing Survey 2014 |
The 2014 wellbeing survey attracted 2,174 responses, which was significantly higher than the 2011 survey which recorded 1,544 responses.
The survey respondents are also a good representation of our community as they represent a cross section of age groups, employment status and they live in a range of suburbs. However, it is worth noting that nearly twice as many women completed the survey compared to men.
Regardless, this excellent level of response from a diverse range of people will allow a more detailed analysis to be completed that is statistically relevant.
The survey has provided the opportunity to collect high-quality data about topics, habits and perceptions at a local level that are not covered by State or Federal Surveys.
The City of Greater Bendigo is not solely responsible for many of the elements that have been surveyed. It is the intent of this survey to determine levels of wellbeing in the community, and to build an understanding of how community needs are changing and identify opportunities for improvements.
There are a number of themes emerging from the data. Key findings include:
Increasing role of social media:
•Social media has provided a strong response rate from the younger age groups.
CoGB overall performance:
Respondents were generally positive about the City of Greater Bendigo, being great place to live and work, feeling pride in the City and its cultural heritage.
Areas for improvement are support to vulnerable community members, assistance to find information about programs and the provision of cultural and leisure activities.
Leadership and decision making:
•Most respondents felt they had no influence at all on local government decision making, and they were more likely to have signed a petition in the last twelve months than met with a councillor, attended a public meeting or joined a protest.
Planning for growth:
•Matters important to respondents were ensuring safety to get around, good quality urban development, growing the economy, while protecting the character of the region, well managed integrated regional growth and providing social support for community members. Lifelong learning opportunities, fostering a diverse economy and supporting innovation and creativity.
Support for policy:
•Support was strong for local policy to further protect population wellbeing, including increased action on Violence against women, support for stronger power to limit the growth in the number, and control the location of, Electronic Gaming Machines (EGM) in the municipality, and use of council policy to reduce anti-social behaviour, including that related to alcohol excess in public places.
•The City is being challenged to meet higher community expectations in a number of areas, including welcoming and celebrating cultural diversity. Respondents expect more activities to attract new overseas immigrants to settle and work here.
•A sense of fairness, respondents felt Council should do more to support the most vulnerable community members, including cultural minority groups and those experiencing temporary homelessness and housing insecurity.
Age specific needs – further analysis required:
•A number of existing service areas were scored low, such as services to support those caring for children, people with a disability, aged residents and those with mental illness. In addition respondents said Council needs to do more to welcome young people, provide them with adequate activities and learning programs and include them in relevant local planning activities, a detailed analysis of the results will be help to better understand these scores.
Social Connection:
•Many respondents have contacted different family and/or friends in the past week, attended community events during the past year. The internet has been used to contact family and friends. They have taken part in non- family groups and attended Arts and Cultural events or volunteered.
Health Protection:
•While Local Government conducts activities designed to protect the health of the whole population from avoidable risks, the Bendigo Wellbeing Survey highlighted that the priorities for CoGB should be on reducing risks from excessive drinking of alcohol, obesity and other chronic disease, tobacco smoking and an unhealthy diet.
Strategic Planning
Along with the above, there are specific questions that relate to future strategic work and the survey results will form part of the evidence/statistical analysis in the development of these plans.
Open Space Planning
•Respondents’ weekly used parks/open spaces/sport fields for active sport or recreation activities and walking and cycling tracks/trails. With local markets and parks/open spaces/sports fields used up to 3 times a year for passive recreation purposed such as picnics or sitting. With many regional events, facilities and parks used up to 3 times a year.
•Personal Safety - people in Greater Bendigo feel comfortable asking a neighbour for small favour and are considered generally honest and trustworthy. People feel safe in the streets and public areas but less safe walking alone at night.
•Overall people scored the range and quality of maintenance of open spaces and public places quite low, including the adequacy and range of good quality areas across Greater Bendigo for children to play outside. (This contradicts the Community Satisfaction Survey, where this element scored highly. We do not know the reason for this difference. When Council proceeds with a new Open Space Strategy, the reasons behind these differences will hopefully be apparent.)
Economic Development:
•It is important for the CoGB to continue to support education initiatives which are designed to make stronger links between schools and workplaces and initiatives that promote employment for minority groups, including indigenous and new immigrants.
Sustainability:
•There is support for Council to: encourage new industries and technologies that reduce environmental impacts, being involved in activities that encourage people to buy local and reduce the amount of waste.
Transport and Residential Development Planning:
•Most respondents agreed there are places to walk or cycle in or near their neighbourhood. Respondent’s highest priority to use the bus for their journey to work more is: a more frequent and more direct service. To cycle to work more is improved cycling paths/lanes and secure bicycle parking at workplace. And to walk to work more is: better footpaths and improved street lighting.
•Respondents indicated that if improvement were made they would take the bus, cycle or walk to work more regularly.
The survey provides Council with valid measures that can be consistently monitored over time.
It is anticipated that the Greater Bendigo Wellbeing Survey results (and results summary) will be used widely to provide evidence and data for decisions and priorities and for robust discussion on best ways to improve the community’s wellbeing, including providing important and valuable information about emerging issues identified in the Council Plan, Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan, ITLUS, and the Residential Strategy and other strategic work.
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