Bellingen Shire Council is inviting community members to have their say on Council’s services, facilities and performance through the 2026 Community Pulse Scorecard.
Opening on Monday 3 August, the independent survey will measure community satisfaction with Council’s delivery of the priorities outlined in Our Plan for the Future and provide valuable feedback on what is working well, where improvements can be made and where future effort should be focused.
Bellingen Shire Council Mayor, Cr. Steve Allan, said the Community Pulse Scorecard was an important opportunity for Council to hear directly from the community.
“Two years ago, our community helped shape the 10-year plan for the Bellingen Shire, Our Plan for the Future. This is our primary strategic planning document, bringing together the collective aspirations, values and ideas of the Bellingen Shire,” said Mayor Allan.
“The Community Pulse Scorecard is our opportunity to check in two years on and see how we’re tracking against those priorities identified during that original engagement.”
“Whether you’ve lived here for decades, have recently moved here or are a frequent visitor of our Shire, your feedback will help us better understand the needs and expectations of our community.”
The Community Pulse Scorecard builds on the successful 2024 Community Scorecard, which attracted more than 1,600 responses, creating the Connected, Sustainable and Creative community vision for the Bellingen Shire.
The scorecard will measure community satisfaction across a broad range of Council services and facilities, with results helping to inform future planning, service delivery and resource allocation. Council will also be able to benchmark its performance against previous results and comparable councils across Australia.
Mayor Allan emphasised the value of participating in the process, with the more people who participate, the more the results will reflect what the community wants.
“Every response contributes to a clearer picture of our community’s experiences and aspirations, helping Council make informed decisions about how we deliver services into the future,” said Mayor Allan.
“The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and is open to anyone aged 14 years and over who lives, works, studies or regularly spends time in the Bellingen Shire.”
The survey is being independently managed by CATALYSE®, with all responses remaining confidential. Individual responses will not be identified, and Council will receive only aggregated results.
The Community Pulse Scorecard will be open from Monday 3 August to Friday 28 August 2026. Community members can complete the survey online via Council’s website or collect a paper copy from Council’s Administration Building, Bellingen Library, Dorrigo Library, Urunga Library, Bellingen Youth Hub or Dorrigo Support Centre.
