Regional Victoria’s Warrnambool City Council, Moyne Shire Council and Corangamite Shire Council have come together as part of a new initiative to create a new shared services model.
The Councils say the Coastal Connect initiative was derived to address the increasing pressure to do more with less. The model provides a practical way to share resources, build resilience and continue delivering high-quality services to their communities.
Through TechnologyOne’s OneCouncil Software-as-a-Service solution, all three councils have now transitioned from on-premise systems to unified SaaS environments delivered with common business processes across finance, people, assets, spatial and records keeping functions. The platform enables staff to collaborate more effectively, share expertise and automate manual processes, helping councils deliver faster, more consistent services to residents while maximising limited resources.
With Property, Rating and Customer requests set to go live in early 2027, the councils will extend the range of services delivered through the platform, creating a more seamless and consistent experience for residents across key council services.
“Regional councils have a responsibility to continually look for better ways to serve their communities,” said Warrnambool City Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Mason.
“Coastal Connect demonstrates how collaboration and innovation can help local government respond to growing challenges while building a stronger and more sustainable foundation for the future.”
Moyne Shire Council Chief Executive Officer, Mark Everstyn said the initiative was a pragmatic and sensible approach that will provide greater value for ratepayers and community.
“By joining forces with our neighbouring councils, we can access technology, skills and support needed to meet growing needs and continue to deliver services, manage assets and deliver projects,” Mr Everstyn said.
Corangamite Shire Council Chief Executive Officer, David Rae said serving communities across such a large and diverse region requires strong systems and partnerships.
“Coastal Connect is laying the foundation for councils to work together more effectively, helping us build the capability, resilience and shared approaches needed to deliver better outcomes for ratepayers and communities into the future,” he said.
TechnologyOne EVP Local Government, Ben Malpass said regional councils across Australia were under increasing pressure to deliver high-quality services with less.
“Coastal Connect has demonstrated how councils can successfully transition from separate on premise systems to our OneCouncil SaaS platform, creating a more sustainable operating model.”
“Importantly, it shows how regional councils can use modern technology and shared services to strengthen capability, improve efficiency and deliver better outcomes for their communities,” Mr Malpass said.
