Published on Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at 2:19:19 PM
Thank you to everyone who took part in our 2026 Community Scorecard earlier this year.
The survey ran from 18 May to 12 June 2026 with 283 resident responses, plus 58 local business respondents and 14 Council affiliates.
Overall, the results were strong. 93% of respondents gave our region a positive rating as a place to live, while the livability score for the Shire of Ravensthorpe was 71/100, which is up from 67 in the 2018 survey.
Our biggest improvements since the last survey were community engagement, Council’s leadership and youth services/facilities.
The lowest performance scores include planning services (43/100) and housing (43/100). Housing has fallen substantially from 57 in 2018 to 43 in 2026, while planning dropped from 50 to 43.
Your feedback has given us valuable insight into what our community thinks is working well, where we can improve and the priorities you would like us to focus on in the future.
Ravensthorpe Cultural Precinct shines
Community facilities were among the strongest-performing areas in the Community Scorecard, with community buildings, halls and public toilets all receiving positive results.
We are proud of the facilities we provide across the Shire and regularly receive wonderful feedback from residents and visitors.
The award-winning Ravensthorpe Cultural Precinct is a great example, providing a beautiful and welcoming space for our community, who use it regularly, while also being popular with tourists passing through.
It is always lovely to see the space being put to good use, such as during the recent community market day during the Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show.
With musicians performing on stage, wildflower talks in the Multipurpose Room, local producers selling their wares, the community kitchen cooking up a storm and children playing on the grass.
It was exactly the kind of vibrant community event the precinct was designed for.
A win for book lovers!
Library services were another standout, rating among the highest-performing services in the Community Scorecard.
The Shire is proud to fund library services in both Hopetoun and Ravensthorpe, which are delivered in partnership with our local Community Resource Centres.
Together, the libraries provide our communities with access to thousands of books and other resources, children's programs, digital resources, inter-library services and other valuable programs and services.
Since 2023 the library in Ravensthorpe has settled beautifully into its new home within the Ravensthorpe Cultural Precinct, providing a welcoming, modern space for the community to read, connect and access library services.
We greatly value our partnerships with both libraries and we look forward to continuing to work with them to provide accessible library services that are clearly valued by our community.
Councillors also serve on the committees of both centres, helping to maintain a strong connection between the Shire, the CRCs and our communities.
The survey also showed improvement in several areas since the Shire’s 2028 Community Scorecard, including in Council leadership, governance, community engagement and youth services.
It is encouraging to see this progress reflected in the community’s feedback, particularly in areas that are central to how we engage with and serve our community.
What’s next?
The Community Scorecard results have also helped inform the Shire’s Draft Council Plan 2026–2036, which is currently open for public comment.
The Plan reflects the priorities and issues raised by our community and will help guide the Shire’s direction over the next 10 years.
We encourage you to take a look at the draft and let us know what you think.
Supporting documents
For further background, the Draft Council Plan was endorsed for public comment at the Ordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday 22 September 2026.
Back to All News