Inner West Council offers more flexibility
14 August 2023
Philippa Scott, Inner West Deputy Mayor
Inner West Council responds to community requests for more accessible and flexible services, enhancing customer service with a Mobile Outreach Team and an expanded stall schedule.
Customer service is core business for any Council, and that’s why Inner West Council is proud to announce that we’re investing an additional $350,000 in the 2023/2024 budget to increase the quality and quantity of our customer service operations. This initiative reflects our commitment to making council services more accessible, convenient, and focused on the needs of residents.
We’re establishing a Mobile Customer Service Outreach Team, a dedicated group of staff equipped with a branded vehicle, travelling throughout the Inner West to bring council administration directly to ratepayers and provide enhanced support to the community.
"Council is bringing more direct services and outreach to the community," said Philippa Scott, Inner West Deputy Mayor. "This proactive approach will enable us to better understand the community’s needs, help us solve more issues on the spot, and put staff out into community so they can see what needs to be done, and meet residents where they are."
The team's roving schedule will take them to council facilities, parks, pools and gyms, libraries, sporting grounds, with the potential to expand the service to shopping centres, festivals, and major transport stops, such as train stations and ferries, during peak travel times.
They’ll be available beyond the usual 9am to 5pm schedule, extending their support to evenings and weekends. This expansion of service hours will better cater to the diverse needs of our community, including shift workers, essential workers, older people, and students, and ensure that assistance is available when it is most needed.
We’re also increasing the weekend Customer Service Stalls from fortnightly to weekly. These stalls will rotate into new locations, including shopping precincts, transport stops, town squares, and parks, ensuring that council services are accessible to as many residents as possible, and making it more convenient for residents to interact with council.
The Mobile Customer Service Outreach Team and the increased Customer Service Stalls align with our commitment to engage with the community on a personal level, building trust, and enhancing the overall experience of interacting with council services.
This initiative is just one part of our ongoing efforts to improve and innovate customer service delivery.
ENDS
For media enquiries please contact Izzy Hillman, isobel.hillman@innerwest.nsw.gov.au