Case Study: Horowhenua District Council achieves faster digital self-service with OpenCities

How Horowhenua District Council did more with less by accelerating their digital transformation and focusing on digital first service delivery

Horowhenua District Council wanted to modernize its public website and make key services easier to find and complete online, reducing reliance on phone calls, walk-ins, and paper forms. Working with OpenCities, the council aimed to deliver a digital-first customer experience without the cost of external development agencies or extra specialist staff.

OpenCities provided the technology and service design approach, including a task-focused homepage, predictive search, and OpenForms for turning paper-based processes like animal registrations into online forms. The council launched its new website in a month and saw strong results: 587 new digital advocates, almost 600 online animal registration submissions in a month, 78% of online renewals completed and paid in 10 minutes or less, and 33% of renewals completed after hours.

Horowhenua District Council

Jo Cooney

Website Officer