Auckland Regional Council Takes Supreme Win at BearingPoint Innovation Awards

Auckland Regional Council took top honours Tuesday night at the BearingPoint Innovation Awards (formerly KPMG), which recognise innovation in the public sector.

The ARC’s ‘Virtually thr’ initiative edged out competition from a number of public sector organisations to win the Local Government and Supreme awards, while its Big Clean Up campaign was highly commended.

The awards signal further accolades for two of the ARC’s industry-leading initiatives. ‘Virtually thr’, (meaning ‘virtually there’) is a text messaging and WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) service linked to ARC’s transport information website http:// http://www.rideline.co.nz, allowing information about buses, trains and ferries to be requested and received via text messaging.

The ARC’s environmental action campaign, The Big Clean Up, is aimed at encouraging Aucklanders to reduce their impact on the environment by carrying out simple steps around the household.

ARC Chief Executive Jo Brosnahan said the successes reflect the council’s commitment to achieving excellence in environmental, economic and social outcomes for Aucklanders through innovation. “While it’s exciting to see a local authority footing it with the rest of the public sector in the innovation stakes – and coming out on top – for the ARC this is really about delivering the best possible outcomes for our ratepayers through creative and leading edge solutions.

“Transport and a ‘clean green’ environment are key issues for Aucklanders and these two bold initiatives are an example of smart thinking. ‘Virtually thr’ encourages the use of public transport, ultimately easing congestion and improving air quality, while The Big Clean Up engages Aucklanders to take action for their environment.”

The purpose of the BearingPoint Innovation Awards is to promote examples of world-class government management by recognising new and successful innovations in New Zealand’s public sector. The awards aim to encourage and help grow the number of public sector organisations implementing new and successful programmes, policies, or projects that will help to improve operational excellence and competence within government agencies.

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