While the Otago Regional is consistently improving the time it takes to process its resource consents, more consents are being rejected, Cr Trevor Kempton says.
The council's annual consent customer satisfaction questionnaire was posted to 211 customers who received consents in the year to June 2011. Twenty-eight percent replied, with 79% rating the quality of service from the council as excellent or very good.
Cr Kempton said service levels appeared to be maintained, with staff assistance ratings at similar levels or better than previous years.
There was a consistent level of improvement in processing timeframes, with 81% satisfied, up from 75% the year before and 66% the year before that.
The council had not had to pay a discount for failing to meet the specified timeframes for processing a consent under the Resource Management Act.
However, there had been a significant rise in consents being rejected because customers were poorly prepared, he said. Last year 106 were rejected.
The only concern was the drop in satisfaction with hearing conduct which had stood at 100%.
Director resource management Selva Selvarajah said there were responses from only five customers who had been involved in hearings and one customer was not happy, therefore dropping satisfaction to 80%.
