Services fail city council’s own targets except one

Photo: Gregor Richardson
Photo: Gregor Richardson
Building consent delays and parking dissatisfaction headline a poor interim slate of service level monitoring results for the Dunedin City Council a report shows.

The paper, to be received by today’s meeting of the council’s planning and environment committee, shows the council has failed to meet its own targets in nine out of 10 areas monitored by the council in the nine months between July 1, 2021, and March 31 of this year.

Building consent and resource consent issuing times have both been below par over the past nine months, with each having a target of 100% of applications being processed within statutory timeframes.

Only 84% of building consents met this mark, down from 99% in the 2020-21 year.

Resource consents fared better, 93% being processed within the allotted time, down from 98% the previous year.

It was a better story on issuing of code compliance certificates. Its target was missed by the barest of margins as 99% of certificates were issued in time against a target of 100%.

Parking, noise control complaints, and satisfaction with the general look and feel of the city, a trio of metrics measured by the annual residents opinion survey, also failed to hit their targets.

Satisfaction with the availability of metered parking in the central city, which had a target of just 40% satisfaction, only managed 21% satisfaction.

This was still an improvement over the result of 19% achieved in 2020-21.

Resident satisfaction with the look and feel of the city registered at 53% against a target of 75%.

This metric has deteriorated every year since it last hit 75% in 2018-19.

Satisfaction with noise control had a target of 60%, but managed only 53% after a 16% increase in noise complaints compared with the same quarter the previous year.

Covid complications were behind missed targets for both the inspection of health premises and for alcohol licensing monitoring visits.

Cancellations, postponements and alert level closures restricted inspections and visits in both sectors.

Satisfaction with roaming dog control just missed its target - 59% satisfaction against a 60% target.

The sole target successfully achieved with a good margin in the report was 70% for the percentage of "A" grade food premises. Of restaurant premises, 94% of premises received the "A" grade.

A report covering the full year results will be presented to the council later this year

andrew.marshall@odt.co.nz

Comments

Not particularly challenging benchmarks. The only one met is because the city's foodbars and restaurants are for the most part run by people with integrity.

At least we are approaching elections. Clearly the council needs a wake-up, or rotation, and the city administration need to get a message about delivering.

 

Advertisement