04 July 2022
Accessing Council information and services has just got easier! Southern Downs Regional Council has unveiled a refreshed website that has been designed to improve connectivity and community engagement.
The new-look website aims to enhance the user experience and make it easier for residents and businesses to navigate the portal and find information quicker.
Council’s CEO Dave Burges said the website was updated to reflect the latest technology and best practice in web design and better meet the growing online needs of the community.
“Together with experienced web developers who work with much bigger council’s than ours, our officers set out to refresh the site in a cost-effective way which capitalises on best practice and industry knowledge,” Mr Burges said.
“Council undertook a critical and comprehensive review of our existing website and resolved to make some necessary changes to enhance and improve the user experience.
“We are living in an evolving and fast-paced world where changes can be instant and ongoing. The new website addresses the ever-present need to access the latest information and services in the most efficient way possible.
“As an organisation, we appreciate that for many residents, our website is the first port of call when accessing Council information and interacting with our services.
“Since the pandemic, there has certainly been a move towards limiting travel and contact, so it was timely to review and upgrade our website in line with industry best practice.
“We want to ensure that the SDRC website delivers an improved user experience on par with that of other leading regional councils.
“We trust that the community will embrace the new experience and look forward to being of greater service to our residents.
“Our customer service centres are still open for business and Council staff are happy to assist with in-person enquires, but along with our MySDRC App, the website now provides more options for doing business with Council.”
Key highlights of the website include:
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New simplified and streamlined design
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Improved site search
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Top 10 common functions/information requests are featured on the home page, including online payments, lost animals, dam levels etc
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New ‘Quicklinks’ menu featuring the most frequently viewed pages
“In summary, the revamped website will look better, work better and be a far better representation of the services available to our community!” Mr Burges said.
Last edited date 04 Jul 2022