"Below par" toilets, unkempt parks and rampant potholes are the things that irk North East residents - and nothing has changed in two years.
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Pothole-riddled roads fuel the biggest gripes echoed in the latest community survey of Indigo Shire residents, with nearly half of respondents listing them as their biggest concern.
Other matters needling residents in the survey, conducted before the 2024-25 draft budget, concerned community facilities, drainage and upgrading public toilets.
The subjects mirror results of the pre-2023-24 draft budget survey which drew more than 300 responses. Only 87 engaged in the latest survey.
A collation of survey respondents' views from that survey which were used to consider the 2024-25 budget and not released by the council online but seen by The Border Mail, revealed safe roads were the clear focus.
"Unsealed roads are poorly maintained and a lot of money spent on bike trails that are not maintained or used often," wrote one respondent.
"Fix the roads and clean your toilets," wrote another, while one respondent complained public toilets in the shire compared to other towns in neighbouring shires are "very much below par".
"Basic infrastructure of kerbs and guttering, footpaths, roads and drainage are poor to average in all the towns in the shire," wrote one.
When asked what was called for, "Streetscape and tree management, upgrading of public toilets," said one. Another agreed, saying: "A heated swimming pool (in Beechworth) and new public toilets urgently required, please." A respondent called for a public toilet block at Yackandandah Sports Park, while another called for public toilets on High Street there to be renovated.
Other issues raised in the comments section called for less money to be spent on cycling tourism, and an even spread of spending on smaller towns other than Beechworth, Yackandandah and Rutherglen.
"Anything for Barnawartha - absolutely anything!" said one. "A skate park or pump track at Wahgunyah," said another.
In its summary of findings from the 2024-25 pre-budget engagement, the council said there was a "significant amount of negative commentary on Facebook pages discouraging participation".
"Despite the lack of participation, feedback reflects previous years' surveys with a strong focus on getting back to basics - that is core service delivery," the council said.
"Overwhelmingly, respondents want council to focus its spending on maintaining and improving existing infrastructure - roads, drains, footpaths, community buildings and to prioritise community wellbeing."
In the 2023-24 draft budget community survey findings document under the heading "What should we stop doing?" residents listed three areas spending could be cut: cycle trails and associated infrastructure, cycling tourism and tourism in general, and engaging consultants.
For the 2024-25 budget survey, respondents ranked the following priorities for capital expenditure: 1. Roads (sealed); 2. Roads (unsealed); 3. Community facilities; 4. Parks, playgrounds and open spaces; 5. Drainage; 6. Public toilet improvements; 7. Footpaths; 8. Recreation facilities; 9. Bridges; 10. Heritage preservation. Cycle paths and trails were ranked 18th.
