West Wimmera continues to perform above state and small shire averages
Published on 02 July 2026
West Wimmera Shire Council has again achieved community satisfaction results above both the Victorian small shire average and the state average across Council’s key services, reflecting the ongoing commitment of Council staff and Councillors to delivering quality services across one of Victoria’s largest rural municipalities.
Across the 12 key Council service areas measured in the annual community satisfaction survey, West Wimmera recorded an average score of 56.75, compared with 55.25 for small shires and 56.58 for the state average.
Mayor Cr Tim Meyer said the results were pleasing and recognised the efforts of Council staff in delivering services across a geographically large municipality.
“These results show that our community continues to value many of the services Council provides every day," he said.
"Achieving results above both the small shire and state averages is something we can be proud of.
“At the same time, we acknowledge there are areas where the community expects us to do better.
"These survey results help guide our priorities and strengthen our advocacy for greater investment in rural communities.”
Council’s highest-rated services were:
- Appearance of public areas - 72
- Waste management - 68
- Enforcement of local laws - 62
- Condition of footpaths - 61
- Keeping the community informed - 61
These results demonstrate consistently strong performance across a broad range of day-to-day Council services that have a direct impact on residents.
While the overall results were positive, the survey identified several areas where satisfaction remains lower than Council would like.
The three lowest-rated service areas were:
- Condition of sealed local streets - 47
- Roadside slashing and weed control - 46
- Maintenance of unsealed roads - 40
Maintaining Council’s extensive road network continues to be one of West Wimmera’s greatest challenges.
Council is responsible for approximately 826 kilometres of sealed roads and 1,925 kilometres of unsealed roads, making it one of the largest local road networks of any Council in Victoria.
Council continues to prioritise road maintenance based on regular condition assessments to ensure available resources are directed where they are most needed. Given the size of the network and current funding levels, it is not possible to grade every unsealed road annually, meaning some roads may only receive maintenance on a biennial cycle.
Despite these challenges, West Wimmera’s satisfaction rating for unsealed roads remains above the Small Shire average.
Council will continue advocating strongly for increased investment in rural road infrastructure while pursuing every available funding opportunity to improve local roads.
The Local Government Victoria Core Measures also delivered encouraging results.
Residents rated their most recent customer service experience with Council at 78, significantly above both the small shire average (65) and the Victorian average (68).
Council also performed well in relation to the way it spends public funds and makes decisions in the interests of the community.
Lower scores relating to Council’s overall performance and future direction appear to have been influenced by community views surrounding Council’s decision to cease providing maternal and child health services.
Survey responses indicate community opinion remains varied:
- 37% of respondents rated Council’s overall performance positively.
- 40% were neutral.
- 23% expressed a negative view.
These findings reflect the diversity of community expectations and the complex decisions local government is often required to make. They also demonstrate that individual Council decisions can significantly influence overall perceptions of Council performance.
Cr Meyer said the survey provided valuable feedback to help shape Council’s future planning and service delivery.
“We don’t just celebrate the positive results, we also pay close attention to where the community wants to see improvement," he said.
"These findings will help guide future priorities as we continue delivering services and advocating for the funding our rural communities deserve.”