Call for responses to survey on the value of community centres

21 January 2026

We're running a research project to better understand the economic and social value of community centres across South Australia. Centres have been invited to contribute by completing an online survey.

The survey is open to all community centres in South Australia, not only those connected to Local Government.

This work is being delivered in partnership with Community Centres SA (CCSA), the peak body for community centres and neighbourhood houses in our state.

Purpose of the survey

The information from this survey will inform a key part of an LGA advocacy campaign. We'll be seeking fair, baseline funding for all community centres in SA.

A final report will be developed from the survey data and will present findings on key areas including:

community participation
wellbeing benefits
literacy and numeracy benefits
volunteer contributions
digital inclusion
IT support services and their role in delivering government and community priorities.

The findings will provide an evidence-base to guide future policy, funding decisions, advocacy and future planning across the sector.

Previous study final report

View the previous research report: Economic and Social Impact Study 2013 (PDF 1.5 MB).

How to complete the survey

Community centres have been emailed a link to the online survey. The survey is open to all community centres in South Australia (council owned and non-council owned).

This survey is open until Friday 20 February 2026.

If you can't find your survey email, please contact Rebecca Cox from CCSA: rcox@communitycentressa.asn.au.

Before you start

To prepare for the survey, check the information you'll need and have it nearby.

You can download all survey questions (PDF 1.3 MB) or see the types of questions you'll be asked below.

The PDF of all survey questions should not be used to submit your information. Please use the online survey link emailed to your centre.

There may be small discrepancies between the PDF version and the online survey due to minor amendments. But the questions asked in both are the same.

Types of questions you'll be asked

The survey will ask questions about your centre over the last financial year (2024-25).

We'll ask for information that covers:

general demographic, such as contact details, operating hours
governance models
if you're co-located with other services
the services you provide or courses you deliver
financial information – income sources, operating costs
attendance data of participants and visitors, including their demographic profile
the number of staff and volunteer involvement
the perceived benefits of the services and programs you deliver.

Answers will generally be in the form of a tick box, number or percentage.

Tips for completing the survey

Completing the survey is voluntary but the more data we receive, the better we'll be able to argue for more funding for the sector.

Important things to know about the survey is that it:

can be saved along the way so you can come back to it later, if needed
must be completed by the person who starts the survey, as the survey will be linked to their device once it's started
must be completed separately for each centre you're responsible for.

What to do if you can't answer a question

Try to complete the online survey as fully as possible. If you're missing relevant administrative data, please provide estimates.

If you need help with the survey or have any questions, email Andreas Cebulla at andreas.cebulla@flinders.edu.au.

Why we need your survey response

LGA needs to understand the significant social and economic contributions of the community and neighbourhood centre sector to South Australia's communities. This will support our ongoing advocacy and future funding initiatives.

Our current research is through this online survey and a series of case studies.

Case studies

A handful of community centres with diverse models of operation have been selected to act as case studies. This will add value to the survey results. These centres will be contacted directly.

Who's conducting the survey

We've engaged BDO, in partnership with Community Centres SA, to evaluate the social and economic impacts of the community and neighbourhood centres sector.

BDO will conduct this research with support from A/Prof Andreas Cebulla from Flinders University and A/Prof Michael O’Neil from Adelaide University.

BDO will then update the previous Economic and Social Impact Study 2013 (PDF 1.5 MB) report, which was developed by the SA Centre for Economic Studies.

Confidentiality and data use

All survey responses are confidential.

The data collected will be the property of LGA and will only be used for this purpose and related social and economic research. LGA has agreed to share the data with Community Centres SA, for the same purpose to enable them to build on this research in the future.

Importance of community centres

Community centres are deeply embedded in South Australian communities and work closely with the most vulnerable people in society.

Like libraries, they:

assist thousands of people every year
support 4,500+ community groups
provide opportunities for 4,000+ volunteers
run over 3,000 programs and activities weekly.

Being at the front line, community centres see real-time increases in need from residents when it comes to rising costs of living, housing shortages, the impacts of climate change and mental health challenges.

Find out more

For help with the survey, email Andreas Cebulla at andreas.cebulla@flinders.edu.au.

If you can't find your survey email, contact Rebecca Cox from CCSA: rcox@communitycentressa.asn.au.

For information about LGA’s community centres research, contact:

Belinda Tassone
LGA Senior Policy Advisor
Email: belinda.tassone@lga.sa.gov.au

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