East Taieri Church community facilitator Joy Davis has spent the past 18 months talking with Mosgiel groups and organisations, such as Plunket and Age Concern, and conducting a public survey on the area.
Two key questions were asked via the postcard survey: "What do you like best about Mosgiel?" and "What do you like least about Mosgiel?"
"I've been running around trying to get a handle on what's happening," she said.
She received a flood of responses and would spend this month collating the data.
Initial responses included gripes about trucks on Gordon Rd, poor bus timetables, the standard of the swimming pool, and a lack of low-cost family activities.
An upgraded swimming pool, cinema, and support for young parents could all be productive ideas, as well as a community development officer and community house, Mrs Davis said.
On the other hand, the climate, a sense of community and the library were reported as positives about Mosgiel.
This information would go before a focus group of community representatives to consider the different categories and "go into more depth" to decide what changes or additions could be made.
The whole exercise, funded by the Dunedin City Council's community development scheme, the Mosgiel Taieri Community Board, New Zealand Lottery Grants Board, Presbyterian Foundation and the Otago Southland Synod, was about "social justice" and aimed to "build a better community", Mrs Davis said.
"Everybody wants a healthy community and we want to partner with other groups and individuals to achieve that.
"This model is called asset-based community development and more and more the trend is for communities to look after their own needs.
"It's not about people coming in and telling other people what they need, it's about the people on the ground agreeing on what they need and making it happen ... We need a sense of ownership and participation. We need to know what are real needs, versus perceived needs."
She was looking forward to working with other community groups and individuals this year to create positive outcomes for Mosgiel.
"If we are going to grow, we have to come together and work together for that common goal."
