Efficiencies provide better value for ratepayers

As Redlands Coast continues to grow, Redland City Council is investigating new ways of providing better value for its ratepayers’ dollars.

Economies of scale can be applied across many areas of Council as the number of residents grow, but efficiencies are also being achieved through new technology and “smarter” ways of doing things.

One practical example has been the evolution over the past five years in how Council’s city operations officers deal with maintenance requests from the public.

A Council spokesperson estimated that the percentage of the city’s maintenance work that is handled by design – meaning it is pro-actively planned and scheduled, as opposed to being reactive to customer requests – has grown from about 25 per cent five years ago, to close to 70 per cent currently.

“Five years ago we printed out hundreds of customer requests daily and triaged them via pigeonholes,” the spokesperson said.

“Today almost 20,000 of City Operation’s 30,000 work orders for the year are based on planned inspections and/or planned programs of work, and are now put in digital daily worksheets.”

The change means resources can be deployed more efficiently, rather than in the ad hoc manner caused by being reactive.

In an even larger, more holistic initiative, the way customers interact with Council on a daily basis is also being transformed.

Council is rolling out an exciting, multi-year Digital Transformation Program that will ensure residents have easier access to Council’s information and digital services and the flexibility to choose when, where and how they engage with Council.

It is set to bolster Council’s cyber security, enhance productivity and help increase efficiencies across the organisation, delivering cost-savings and better provision of services to the community.

It will also increase the efficiencies in customers’ interaction with Council using new methods that have evolved with the aim of making these experiences better, easier and more cost-effective for all involved.

Efficiencies are also being made through the reuse and upcycling of materials.

Even small changes in this area not only provide savings within Council but also create an organisational culture that is considerate of a circular economy and enforces the notion to not be wasteful.

For example, the old coffee cart at Council’s Redland Performing Arts Centre, Cleveland, was upcycled to be part of its new Encore Café.

Mayor Jos Mitchell said it was imperative that any organisational savings, small or large, were not at the detriment of services that Council provided to ratepayers.

“Council’s commitment to managing resources in an effective and efficient way, is predicated on maintaining and, in many cases, improving our services,” the Mayor said.

“Efficiencies are all about getting the most value for the community’s money.

“Since being elected Mayor, I have been having conversations with Council to ensure Redlands Coast residents are receiving value for money from their rates and charges across our organisation.”

Performance measures are recorded in Council’s annual reports and other organisational report strategies.

For example, in the Redland City Council Annual Report 2022-2023 it was noted that: “A total of $902,796.25 in financial savings was realised during 2022–2023 through improvement initiatives including the implementation of fleet optimisation review initiatives, contracting and purchasing arrangements, efficiencies in financial operations, and optimisation of library services.”

It is also a matter of policy, with Council’s Financial Strategy 2016-2026 stating: “Additionally, we will … maximise organisational efficiencies through the implementation of initiatives such as: continued assessment of core business and service level reviews; reform of business service delivery modes where appropriate; continuing to deliver through the most efficient and effective means to reduce goods and services costs; and the challenging the priority and need for discretionary operational projects.”

Redland City Council provides a suite of services to 166,873 residents and more than 63,000 residential households across Redlands Coast. Our naturally wonderful city on Quandamooka Country is home to more than 335 kilometres of coastline, six island communities and 12 mainland suburbs.