Town of Walkerville engaged market research agency Newfocus to undertake the 2026 Community Survey, and the results are in!

The overall purpose of the survey was to gauge the community's perceptions and contentment on various significant domains, including communication, safety and security, parks and reserves, and roads and footpaths; and to compare with previous survey results conducted in 2023.

A total of 439 randomly selected Town of Walkerville residents were surveyed. This is up from 382 surveys completed in 2023.

Positively, 71% of residents stated they were satisfied with Town of Walkerville, compared to 59% in 2023.

Key insights from the 2026 Community Survey include:

• 75% of residents who had contact with Town of Walkerville in the past 12 months were satisfied with the customer service they received, compared to 67% in 2023.
• 78% of residents were satisfied with Council's overall performance on communications and being kept up-to-date, compared to 70% in 2023.
• About Town was the most common and highly rated form of communication at 98% recall and 84% satisfaction.
• Town of Walkerville scored well in core service deliveries including waste collection and management 87% (up from 82% in 2023), library 81% (up from 68% in 2023), playgrounds / parks / reserves/ playing fields / open space 81% (up from 74% in 2023), and Council's Civic & Community Centre / Town Hall 71% (up from 50% in 2023).
• Overall, 70% of residents are satisfied that the Town of Walkerville is a safe and secure area to live, which is a decrease from 77% in 2023.
• A recurring theme on creating a more vibrant Walkerville Terrace was prevalent, with desires for more cafes, restaurants, specialty retail, fresh food options and a stronger atmosphere.

The top 6 reasons for satisfaction include:

1. Good communication and responsiveness 19%
2. beautiful or pleasant area to live in 12%
3. Good development and projects delivered well 6%
4. Well-maintained streets, parks or public spaces 6%
5. Good facilities, library or community amenities 6%
6. Good leadership with current council members praised

In addition, the community revealed a desire for more street events 39%, community picnics 39%, outdoor cinema 38%, art events 29% and large outdoor children's events 23%.

View the Community Survey Infographics here:

Community Survey Infographic 1

Community Survey Infographic 2

For more in-depth information from the survey click here.

Market research company Newfocus undertook the Community Survey engagement process from  Monday, 16 March 2026 to Monday, 6 April 2026.

The Community Survey report was noted and accepted by Council at the Ordinary Council meeting on 18 May 2026.