Whanganui District Council offers new mobile app for ratepayers

The new phone app provides quick access to council information and allows users to make suggestions and report problems. Photo / File

Whanganui District Council is offering a new mobile app to send targeted information to ratepayers.

Developed by New Zealand-based tech company Datacom, the Antenno app is able to send notifications and alerts about local community events as well as advice on municipal services.

The council's group manager Marianne Cavanagh said the app was easy to use and no personal information or log-on details were required.

"With Antenno, the council will be able to send out targeted notifications based on the places and topics people care about.

"When you sign up you select the places of interest relevant to you, whether it's a neighbourhood park, information about events or a street where there might be a water shut-off or road closure.

"It's also a fast and simple way to report things to us if you spot a problem or have a suggestion that's not urgent."

Cavanagh said urgent help was still available by calling the council landline number at any time but the app was a quick and easy way to share and access information.

She said the app also provides a useful way for people living outside Whanganui to access local information.

"For instance, someone living in London who has a parent living in Springvale can add their parent's address to their places in Antenno so they know what's going on in that area. It could be anything from rates reminders to remembering to register a dog."

The council's communications and marketing manager Sarah Pomeroy said the app is another way the council can quickly share relevant information with the community.

"Antenno will also be a very useful channel during emergency events."

South Taranaki District Council (STDC) has been using the Antenno app for several months and currently has around 500 users.

STDC communications manager Gerard Langford said the council hopes to increase usage over the next 12 months.

"The feedback we have received to date has been positive," he said.

"Users particularly like the ability to report issues back to council via the app."

Antenno is available for both Apple and Android smartphones and can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.

Snap Send Solve – a smartphone app for the public to report issues or incidents to the council using photos – is also still available in Whanganui.