Media Release

7 May 2013

HBRC Wins Website Awards

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has won two awards at the ALGIM Online Services Awards for ‘Best Council Website Redevelopment’ and ‘Best Use of Intranet’ in Wellington this week.

The awards are recognition of the digital strategy that HBRC has put in place. HBRC has focused on improving access, ease of use, and providing better value for ratepayers wanting to do business and get information in a modern, on-line environment.

The website www.hbrc.govt.nz was redeveloped in the last year with a strong customer focus, making it easy for users to get popular content such as the Napier/ Hastings bus service timetables, rates information, environmental data, routes for Hawke’s Bay Trails, and information on consultation and key projects such as the Ruataniwha Water Storage Project.

"We are very proud to bring home these two awards,” said Drew Broadley, HBRC Communications Manager.

"It acknowledges all the hard work put in by the Information & Communications Technology (ICT) and Communications teams at HBRC to deliver both a one-stop-shop intranet, and a new public website."

The web and intranet developments were part of a systems integration project, and staff worked closely with Wellington online consultancy Intergen.

HBRC's website was redeveloped and re-launched in May 2012. The new staff intranet was delivered in September 2012. Both of these developments pave the way for HBRC's Sharepoint-based document management system and provide better communication for HBRC staff and ratepayers.

The annual ALGIM Online Services Symposium is a forum for local government to inform and engage through the web, intranet, online services and social media. ALGIM provides annual Awards to encourage best practice and innovation. Napier City Council also celebrated at the Awards, winning the Online Project of the Year for its framework to develop and maintain multiple websites and web projects.

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About ALGIM

The Association of Local Government Information Management (ALGIM) represents the national and international interests of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in New Zealand's city, district and regional councils. ALGIM provides best practice in the local government ICT sector by enhancing professional development through scholarships, training, events, awards and networking, and offer leadership through toolkits, advocacy, research and shared services.

ENDS

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