Refreshed website for NRC

 

Northland Regional Council has just launched a refreshed version of its website.

Chairman Bill Shepherd says the $35,000 update is the first design change to the site – which currently boasts more than 1000 individual pages – since it was launched eight years ago.

"Increasing demand for online services makes the website one of our most important channels for interacting with our communities and ratepayers, with about 17,000 users visiting it every month."

Councillor Shepherd says the way information is structured under headings has not changed despite the revamp to ensure users can still easily find what they're looking for.

Key topics that attract visitors to the site now form the centrepiece of the home page.

These include environmental (river and rainfall) data, maps and webcams, council meeting schedules, and information on pests and weeds.

Other home page features made more prominent include contact details and location maps for the council's four Northland offices, and transactions that can be carried out online such as payment for invoices, job applications and submissions.

"Northland's Civil Defence emergency status now has a high-profile position on the home page and will be updated during an emergency," says Cr Shepherd.

A new drop-down menu also makes it easier to access other sections of the website, while a larger font size and enhanced colour contrast is intended to improve readability for all users, but especially those with vision impairments. n www.nrc.govt.nz