Table 5 Quadrant Analysis

Water supply rated highly in importance (mean 4.5) and satisfaction (mean 3.7). In 2022, Sewerage had lower importance (mean 4.0) but higher satisfaction (mean 4.0) than Water supply.

Meanwhile, a major priority for Council lies in Maintenance of sealed roads, which had a high importance (mean 4.7) against a low satisfaction (mean 1.9). As shown in Figure 9 (previous page), Maintenance of roads (both sealed and unsealed) stand our prominently as issues of concern .

Overall, the diversity of priorities and opportunities for Council indicates how overall satisfaction can be improved by aligning Council efforts with improving facilities and services valued by respondents.

Table 5 Quadrant Analysis

PRIORITIES FOR COUNCIL STRENGTHS TO MAINTAIN

11 Maintenance of bridges 12 Protection of the natural environment and biodiversity

2 Sewerage 5 Waste and recycling 15 Footpaths and cycleways 6 Water supply 17 Flood plain and coastline management (including erosion and sea level rise) 7 Sporting facilities 19 Maintenance of public toilets 8 Parks, reserves and playgrounds 20 Economic development (programs and strategies to support business investment and growth) 10 Cleanliness of streets

23 Maintenance of unsealed roads 22 Maintenance of sealed roads

SECOND ORDER ISSUES

13 Enforcement of regulations by rangers (e.g. dogs and parking) 14 Online services such as the website 16 Council Pools 18 Tourism marketing

21 Development application processing

OPPORTUNITIES

1 Libraries 4 Lifeguards 9 Cultural facilities (Grafton Regional Art Gallery and support to museum) 3 Support for sport and cultural events (e.g. Bridge to Bridge Ski Race, Jacaranda Festival, Maclea

Figure 10 (next page) has the results of the question asking respondents to choose the three highest priorities for Council, out of the facilities and services they had considered of Critical importance at Q12 (which excluded the four facilities and services at Q13 – i.e. sealed roads, waste and recycling, water supply and sewerage - as they were otherwise likely to dominate).

Maintenance of unsealed roads was the highest response in 2022, as it was in 2020, though with a large leap in responses (this may be due to the road damage incurred by the extraordinarily wet weather throughout southeast Australia in early 2022).

The largest increase in absolute terms as well as compared to its 2020 result was for Flood plain and coastline management (including erosion and sea level rise).

Wave on wave trends were shown in:

• Increases for Maintenance of unsealed roads; Flood plain and coastline management; Maintenance of bridges; Parks, reserves and playgrounds; Development application processing; Maintenance of public toilets; Cleanliness of streets; Cultural facilities (Grafton Regional Art Gallery and support to museum). • Decreases for Protection of the natural environment; Lifeguards; Libraries; Tourism marketing; Enforcement of regulations by ranger. Tourism marketing and Enforcement of regulations by rangers were one-third of their 2020 responses in 2022.