Government Exposed

New Zealanders will discover more about Government from today's [15
October] release of the first of the Millennium's telephone
directories - the Wellington Phone Book.

For the first time Government has created and sponsored a
"Bulletin Board" in the Blue Pages Government Section at the front
of the phone book.

The Bulletin Board reveals more about Government than ever
before, according to Brian Collinge, Manager of the Department of
Internal Affairs' Government Information Services Team.

"The Blue Pages Index is in every home and business in the
country. Now you can discover which Government services and
activities will change in the next twelve months," he said. "The
Bulletin Board also allows for regional news and events to be
highlighted."

"The Blue Pages Index helps ordinary people to make sense of the
state sector," he said. "By simply looking at the index of services
and activities, you will find the current name of the agency
responsible. This is especially important where so many agencies
have been merged or renamed in recent times."

The Blue Pages Index of Government Services records the creation
of the new Department of Child Youth and Family and the Ministry of
Social Policy.

Mr Collinge said that the Blue Pages Bulletin Board and Index of
Government Services covered Crown entities as well as central
government. Another section also reveals details about local
government services and activities.

"As Government becomes more open, New Zealanders need a mechanism
to tell them who does what. While expenditure on branding is
useful, it doesn't always convey the wide range of services and
activities offered by an agency," said Mr Collinge. "That's where
the Blue Pages comes in."

The Blue Pages also feeds information into the New Zealand
Government On-line (www.govt.nz) website. NZGO the official
Government website, the Blue Pages Bulletin Board, Index of
Government Services and Local Government Services sections are all
funded by the listed agencies via the Government Information
Services Team, part of the Department of Internal Affairs.

ENDS....

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