Auckland Transition Agency

September 9, 2010

Media Release (For Immediate Release)

New Council Site A Hit

The website for the new Auckland Council is proving hugely popular.

The site at www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz carries information relating to the upcoming local body elections as well as customer service information and frequently asked questions.

Since regulatory forms for things like building and resource consents were made available on-line visits have peaked at more than 1500 each day.

Content is being added to the new site progressively between now and 1 November, when the Auckland Council formally comes into being.

One of the features of the website is a "street find" application which allows people to search their address to find which ward or local board area they live in.

It also contains sections on:
• The roles and responsibilities of the Mayor, Councillors and Local Boards
• An explanation of Council-Controlled Organisations (CCOs)
• News

The site is yet another example of the drive towards faster and easier customer access, said Mark Ford, executive chairman of the Auckland Transition Agency, which is planning and managing the merger of the region’s Councils.

“The aim is that people will be able to interact and do business with the Council quickly and easily through more channels, including on-line and face to face," he said.

Other customer service improvements include a network of service centres across the region and agreements with the Bank of New Zealand and New Zealand PostShop to provide on-line and over-the-counter transactions.

Ends

Note: Up until 1 November people can continue to access information though their current council website.

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