Christchurch City Council’s approval rating is at a 14 year low.

The latest Residents’ Survey programme shows overall satisfaction with services sitting at 49 per cent – a slight decrease from last year’s 50 per cent satisfaction rating.

While residents remain ‘highly satisfied’ with services like libraries and recreation facilities, they are not impressed with the Council’s performance in areas including roads and footpaths.

36 percent of residents surveyed were satisfied with the city’s footpaths, while 29 percent were satisfied with the condition of the roads.

Just under one in three (29 percent) of residents are satisfied with the condition of roads.

This result falls well below the the council’s Level of Service target of 40 percent.

The council report said the main reasons for dissatisfaction related to the “Council’s provision of services and disapproval about Council spending.”

Chief Executive Dawn Baxendale said “our Draft 2021-32 Long Term Plan provides for significant investment over the next 10 years in our water supply network and our roading and transport systems because we know they need attention.”

“Keeping our core infrastructure in good condition does come at a high cost. However, we know from the residents’ surveys that we do each year that it is an area of concern for ratepayers, many of whom feel we should be delivering a better level of service.’’

Mrs Baxendale said the survey findings are similar to those received last year and the Council is taking note.

“We have got the message, loudly and clearly, from residents that we need to get the basics right, which is why our Draft Long Term Plan has a strong focus on investing in core infrastructure and the essential services that residents rely on.”

Core capital spend has been set at $400 million in the first year, $420 million in the second year, and $443 million in the third year and a “significant portion of that money will go towards water and transport infrastructure.”

The Residents Survey programme involved two pieces of research – the Point of Contact Surveys, which were carried out over the course of the past year with Council customers, and the General Service Satisfaction Survey, an online survey of 770 people that was conducted in January and February 2021.