Councils & Local Government
With over 20 years of experience working with local government, WebShed delivers tailored digital solutions to meet the unique challenges councils face.
We offer our local government SaaS content management system, custom-built solutions, web applications, and expert advice to help you maximise your current website or when tendering for a new one.
Looking for a ready-built, council-specific CMS?
Our Software as a Service (SaaS) Content Management System (CMS) is purpose-built just for local government and tailored to meet the specific needs of councils and their staff.
Designed to make life easier by streamlining tasks, saving valuable staff time, and reducing reliance on designers, it can also dramatically improve your users experience and engagement.
Built on the trusted open-source SilverStripe platform - already used by many councils and central government across New Zealand - WebShed’s system is not only cost-effective but also highly flexible and customisable. Plus, it can be up and running quickly, ensuring councils see real, tangible benefits from the start.
Through review, analysis and consultation with your team, WebShed can create a detailed web review, highlighting what’s working well and where improvements can be made.
Webshed’s reports are tailored to your budget and the level of detail you need, providing practical insights that support your ongoing operations and future planning.
Ready to tender for a new website?
If you’re preparing to refresh your website and put out a tender, how do you know exactly what you need?
At WebShed, we work closely with your team to create an impartial, tailored document covering all your requirements, ensuring you receive proposals that align with your goals and needs.
Our expert assessment pinpoints areas for improvement and uses Google Analytics insights to understand user engagement. Our tender-ready document then ensures you're fully prepared to receive the best proposals for your project, saving you time and money.
Case Study
In 2023/24, WebShed partnered with Otorohanga District Council to design and rebuild their main council website. Their goals were clear: create a customer-focused, easy-to-navigate site with fewer clicks, accessible design, responsive functionality, and a modern, streamlined layout. They also wanted accurate, jargon-free content and effective search capabilities.
WebShed managed the entire project from start to finish, delivering the new website two weeks ahead of schedule and within budget.
Explore the new features...
The Otorohanga District Council website offers a range of new features designed to enhance the customer experience:
- Meetings Calendar
View agendas, minutes, and easily add events to your personal calendar. - My Property Search
Find comprehensive property details - rates, parcels, building and resource consents - all in one place. - Documents & Forms
Quick access to documents and forms with easy filtering and search. - Latest News
Stay updated with news, featuring fast filtering and search. - Popular Links
Real-time stats from Google Analytics showing the most-used links, accessible from any page. - Do It Online
Access all online services from one convenient location from every page. - Accessibility: Page content can be read aloud for enhanced accessibility.
- and much much more...
Behind the scenes, the new backend features have dramatically reduced the time staff spend managing content and documents, making website updates more efficient than ever.
Interested in learning more or seeing a demo? Let’s talk.
Council success stories...
Bringing presentations online
Faced with COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, Yass Valley Council needed a new way to present their Draft Operational Plan to the public. WebShed stepped in to deliver an innovative online solution, allowing the council to engage and inform the community remotely.
Transforming Council websites
In a major collaborative project, Wairoa, Napier, Hastings, Central Hawke's Bay, and Hawke's Bay Regional Council teamed up to build five new, streamlined, user-friendly websites for each council. WebShed led the charge as project manager, handling user interface design, user experience, wireframing, and seamless website migration.
Visualising data
Hawke's Bay Regional Council needed a simple way to visualise whether a catchment was exceeding DIN limits based on five years of sampling data. WebShed provided a clear, user-friendly data visualisation tool, helping landowners easily determine if they need a Land Use Resource Consent.
Our council partners
WebShed has partnered with numerous councils, providing services ranging from full web design and development projects to data visualisation and web apps.
Join the team of council's we work with...
- Otorohanga District Council, NZ
- Co-Lab, Waikato, NZ
- Yass Valley Council, Australia
- Hastings District Council, NZ
- West Coast Regional Council, NZ
- Central Hawke's Bay District Council, NZ
- Wairoa District Council, NZ
- Napier City Council, NZ
- Hawke's Bay Regional Council, NZ
- Gisborne District Council, NZ
