Hawke’s Bay Regional Council

Website

www.hbrc.govt.nz

Judges’ comments

Your writers seem to have a deep understanding of web writing principles. The design elements work brilliantly with the language elements to make for an excellent user experience. Information is well organised and easy to find, and complex technical information is presented in a way that’s easily understood.

It looks like the web team undertake regular analysis of their user statistics, with an increase in users year on year and high satisfaction ratings. This suggests the content is relevant and helpful for its audience. It’s great to hear that a continuous improvement process is in place.

On the pages we reviewed, the writers show a rigorous commitment to including only relevant information that supports the purpose of each page. The pages answer the reader’s most important questions up the top and content is short and to the point.

We got a real sense that the Council is an organisation that is there to help and empower people to access services, make decisions, and participate in local life. Well done!

Media statement

Our website is often the first port of call when people want information about the work we do, so making it easy to read and understand is important for us.

The work we do is incredibly diverse and sometimes very technical, so we make a point of providing information that is accessible and easy to engage with.

Being named a finalist in this category is a great acknowledgement of our efforts in creating a plain language website and is very encouraging.

Clare Hollings
Team Lead Digital Communications
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council

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