Dunedin Mayor Urges Councillors to Reflect on Low Satisfaction Ratings

Community satisfaction with the performance of Dunedin’s city councillors remains low, prompting Mayor Sophie Barker to call for a period of reflection among elected officials. During a recent Dunedin City Council meeting, Barker emphasized the need for councillors to consider their role in maintaining the community’s trust and respect for the institution. She stated, “I think that all councillors need to look in the mirror and think about how their behaviour affects residents’ satisfaction.”

Public sentiment towards the council has fluctuated since the election in October 2025. According to the council’s residents’ opinion survey, satisfaction with the performance of the mayor and councillors dropped significantly, from 34% in the March quarter to a low of 17% in September, before showing slight recovery to 23% in December. These quarterly figures, while indicative of trends, are less reliable than annual results due to a higher margin of error, which raised questions about their overall utility.

In the discussion, Councillor Russell Lund highlighted the importance of addressing the reasons behind the low satisfaction ratings. He noted, “This is the chance to confront why our ratepayers are ranking us so poorly, and it’s because we’re not listening to them and it’s because we’re not being fiscally responsible.” Lund’s remarks underscored a growing frustration among council members regarding their perceived disconnect from community needs.

The survey results also indicated a general decline in satisfaction with the services provided by the council. Overall satisfaction dropped from 47% in June to 35% in September, stabilizing at that level in December. Furthermore, residents expressed diminished satisfaction regarding value for money from council services, which fell from 33% to 24% and then increased slightly to 27%.

The December quarter survey included 328 respondents, a notable increase from 297 in the previous quarter. The annual target sample is 1,200 residents, and the margin of error for the latest quarter was reported at plus or minus 5.4%, in contrast to approximately 2.6% for annual results. This variation has prompted discussions among councillors about the effectiveness of quarterly assessments.

In the political landscape following the recent elections, Councillor Andrew Simms expressed concerns about feeling “sidelined” but later agreed to collaboratively lead an economic development portfolio with Mayor Barker. Meanwhile, Councillor Lee Vandervis initially declined deputy roles but reached an agreement with Barker to co-chair the finance and performance committee alongside Deputy Mayor Cherry Lucas.

Recent developments have also included a code of conduct complaint initiated by Councillor Benedict Ong against Councillor John Chambers, which was dismissed as lacking substance by independent investigator Steph Dyhrberg. Additionally, a complaint from Chief Executive Sandy Graham against Ong regarding a critical email about a staff member is currently under review by Dyhrberg.

As Dunedin’s city council navigates these challenges, the call for introspection may serve as a crucial step toward rebuilding community trust and enhancing overall satisfaction with local governance.