Reports

2009-12 Community Outcomes Report

This is the second outcomes monitoring report for Southland, which again uses a range of specific indicators to identify the progress which has been made towards the achievement of the seven broad community outcomes or goals since these were initially identified for the Southland region in 2005. This report has been prepared for Our Way Southland by, Economic Solutions Ltd, Napier, in time for release in conjunction with the Our Way Southland Leaders' Forum, held in Invercargill on 13 September 2012.

The latest monitoring report covers the period 2009 to 2012, being the second three years of the Our Way Southland Community Outcomes monitoring and reporting process. The scope and format of the report have been determined by a number of factors, including the availability of data for the period in review, the relevance of data to both the seven community outcomes and associated intermediate outcomes as well as the desirability of illustrating localised, regional and comparable national trends where appropriate.

The key regional findings present a generally positive picture of the region. The findings include:

• The 2010 Southland Quality of Life Survey commissioned by Our Way Southland indicates that the vast majority of the Southland Community are positive or satisfied about their overall quality of life in the region.
• The Southland region has recorded positive although limited overall economic growth for the years ending March 2010 and March 2011, following negative growth over 2009/2010, as a result of the impact of the major international and domestic economic downturn since 2008.
• The total number of road crashes resulting in death or injury fell by 17.5% between 2005-2007 and 2008-2010, with fatal crashes increasing though by 34.6%, serious injury crashes falling by 38.1% and minor injury crashes falling by 11.4%.
• Since 2008, total recorded criminal offending in the Southland region per 10,000 population has fallen steadily, following the stable pattern over 2005-2008. The rate of resolved crime has increased from 50% to 57%.
• Levels of life expectancy have increased over time in the region.
• Most people in the area rate their personal health as either good or very good.
• The 2010 Southland Quality of Life Survey indicates majority community satisfaction with local democratic processes (leadership, quality of decision-making, influence on decision-making and the adequacy of base public information used for decision-making).
• The majority of Southland residents are generally satisfied with the overall condition of the physical environment in the region. Their main specific concerns are dairy effluent run-off to rivers, water quality, waterway pollution, air pollution and rubbish disposal.
• Increased upper high-school educational achievement levels and reduced 'no formal educational achievement' levels of the school-leaver population.
• A slightly increased level of formal upper secondary school educational achievement amongst the region's adult population.
• A significant increase in the level of university-based educational achievement, although the current level in the region is still well below the national level.

The achievement of the outcomes can only be assured by the successful combination of the resources of all sectors of the Southland community – local and central government agencies, and the business and volunteer sectors. The monitoring work therefore enables the assessment of the progress which is being made towards the achievement of Southland's community outcomes and implementation of collaborative solutions in order to better realise each outcome.

2010 Southland Quality of Life Report

Our Way Southland commissioned a regional Quality of Life survey of 1,520 people to better gauge Southlanders’ perceptions of local and national social, economic and environmental conditions. The survey used a questionnaire based on that used for the www.bigcities.govt.nz project, modified in order to better capture trends at a regional and local level, incorporate both rural and urban perspectives, and provide baseline qualitative data for ongoing outcomes monitoring.

The results of the telephone survey, which was conducted in May 2010, indicated that 91% of Southlanders consider that they have a 'good' or 'extremely good' quality of life compared with the 90% of New Zealanders surveyed for the New Zealand 12 Cities Quality of Life report. This key result reflected a trend across many indices measured.

Other key findings include:

• Southland residents are proud of, and connected to their communities
• Southlanders have a favourable work/ life balance
• Southlanders generally feel safe, and are trusting
• Southlanders are generally healthy
• Southlanders are satisfied with their leadership
• Southlanders are satisfied with the condition of their environment
• Southlanders feel there is some level of cultural diversity within the region

Open 2010 Southland Quality of Life Report (1.9MB PDF)

2009 Outcomes Monitoring Report

The Our Way Southland project has produced the first monitoring report for the Southland community and its outcomes, covering the period 2005 to 2008. This report presents a snapshot of the general state of Southland's economic, environmental, social and cultural outcomes, and indicates whether the region has improved, stayed the same, or deteriorated since 2005.

Open 2009 Outcomes Monitoring Report (2.0MB PDF)

2005 Community Outcomes Report

The Our Way Southland Community Outcomes Report is the result of over two years of collaboration between Southland's four councils to identify the collective vision which Southlanders have for their region. The seven outcomes described in the report are those most wanted by Southland residents for themselves, their families and their communities.

Open 2005 Community Outcomes Report (1.4MB PDF)