Council shortlisted for the ALGIM project of the year award

Published on 12 November 2025

New CitizenCentral portal in testing, to be launched later this year.

A new way for ratepayers in Waitaki to pay their rates, register their dogs, and log enquiries and requests with Council has been shortlisted for the Association of Local Government Information Management (ALGIM) project of the year award.

CitizenCentral is a customer-focused portal which ties in with Council’s existing digital infrastructure, allowing greater on-demand access to a range of Council’s services.

In just three months, the project team has set up;

• Complete 24/7 access including payment status, history, and outstanding balances.

• Integrated platform for rates, water, and infringement payments, creating and reviewing

• service requests, progress tracking, and updating citizen details.

• Multi-ratepayer payment capability from any location

• Future-ready animal registration system

The best part? The cost for this is under $30,000 – clocking in at $29,115. Instead of the expensive replacing of an entire system, this makes better use of what already works – and gives the community 24/7 access to online services.

Waitaki District Council is the first council in New Zealand to implement CitizenCentral, as part of its commitment to being a leading, innovative Council which delivers the best for the community.

CitizenCentral is the product of the new operating model for Council, bringing together Customer Services, Digital Services and the team responsible for Council’s transformation programme.

The portal itself is currently being tested by a selected group of community members, before a fuller public rollout later this year.

The winners will be announced on Wednesday, 26 November 2025.

ENDS

media@waitaki.govt.nz