The Far North District Council pledged an overhaul of the RFS system after a Kāeo resident spent more than six months trying to get action on a fallen tree.
The Far North District Council pledged an overhaul of the RFS system after a Kāeo resident spent more than six months trying to get action on a fallen tree.
After complaining that reporting issues to council was “not worth it”, the Far North District Council says it has made significant changes to how it responds and is urging residents to give the system a chance.
In October last year a Kaeo resident spent more than six months chasing actionon a fallen tree on her property.
At the time the FNDC acknowledged communication failures and delays in clearing debris and said it would review how it responds to requests for service.
The review has been completed and FNDC group manager for community and engagement Ruben Garcia said they have now recorded improved response times, stronger oversight and clearer communication, as some of the key changes.
Garcia said one of the biggest shifts has been better visibility of requests, with new reporting tools and dashboards allowing staff to track progress, identify delays and respond more quickly.
“The initial focus was on strengthening the active management of requests across all teams, with targeted effort on areas holding high volumes of overdue RFS. As a result, cross-team coordination has improved, with clearer ownership and more consistent handling of requests from start to finish.”
By February, RFS closure rates had increased by 23%, he said. Closure rates now sit at 99%, “demonstrating that the majority of requests are being resolved within 30 days, with only the most complex cases requiring additional time and ongoing management”.
He said demand remained high with more 3000 new RFS received on average each month.
Between March 2025 and February, the average handle time remained mostly in the 12-to-16-hour range “indicating broadly stable handling across the year”.
“The goal is to close RFS within 30 days,” he said.
Since April 2024, there has been a 26% reduction of RFS backlog.
The Far North District Council headquarters in Memorial Ave, Kaikohe. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya
“A key area of improvement has been communication. We have placed greater emphasis on ensuring our teams are actively engaging with requesters – providing updates, setting clearer expectations, and improving visibility of progress. This is supported by enhancements to our contact centre, website, and broader communications channels, making it easier for customers to access timely and accurate information."
He added that while they do still receive some feedback relating to delays or communication, the overall trend showed improvement.
Ryan said she was still happy to report issues through the system but admitted there was room for improvement.
“I logged a request for a road to be graded a few weeks ago, and it was actually done within a couple weeks after that. A lot of other people had put in the same request, because the road was pretty bad.”
She said the request was acknowledged fairly quickly.
“I think they can always improve on it. There is still room for improvements, especially around communication with customers.”
South Hokianga resident Denis Orme said he had a different experience with the system.
“The initial acknowledgement comes back within a couple of hours, and the RFS number usually comes back the same day. Then after that I get nothing.”
“I think there had only been two occasions, out of 30-something RFSs, where they have actually told me they are doing something.”
Orme said he had probably logged more than 40 RFS requests this year.
“Managers need to provide feedback to the person who submits the RFS and follow through…it’s about management accountability in the various departments where the RFSs are channelled.”
