New data suggests most people do not feel Rotorua is moving towards its 2030 goals, and only 30 per cent of people feel they can participate in decision-making.
The 2030 goals were seven goals described in council documents as "the blueprint to position Rotorua as a place people choose to live, work, play and invest" and set the long-term direction for the district.
Identified in 2013, the goals related to recreation, inner-city revitalisation, business, housing, community development, employment and the environment.
The data was reported in the council's non-financial KPI quarterly review report at a council operations and monitoring committee meeting on Wednesday.
It was gathered from people who had used council services between July 1 and September 30 last year.
The report also reviewed how the council was performing in non-financial areas such as arts and culture, roading, waste management, sports and recreation and community leadership.
Thirty-one per cent of people felt Rotorua Lakes Council was "delivering and moving towards 2030 goals" and 32 per cent of people felt the council kept the community well-informed and 30 per cent felt they could participate in decision-making.
That fell short of the council's stated goals in those areas, which was more than 60 per cent, 60 per cent and 36 per cent respectively.
In the meeting, councillor Reynold Macpherson asked what steps were being taken to improve the levels of satisfaction and confidence, describing them as "modest".
Governance and partnership manager Oonagh Hopkins, who prepared the report, said the results were "tending to track in a positive direction".
"With the look of the new priorities and how that piece of work unfolds we would be looking at seeing how progress towards those 2030 goals unfolds within that piece of work."
Mayor Steve Chadwick said national confidence in governance was 28 per cent.
"It's really not good. So it's a big challenge for us as a council about that community engagement and confidence in our future direction.
"We've got to do more together to lift that confidence and it's, I think, when we work together that [residents] see, 'oh good, [councillors] are all in the same boat, this is good, going in the same direction'."
The 2030 goals were described in council documents as the "blueprint to position Rotorua as a place people choose to live, work, play and invest".
Asked for further information on the report on Friday, a spokeswoman for Rotorua Lakes Council said the people able to answer the questions were on leave.