About the Client
Katherine Town Council serves the fourth largest town in the Northern Territory, situated 320km south-east of Darwin along the picturesque Katherine River. With more than 11,000 residents, Katherine functions as a vital regional centre supporting an area comparable in size to the state of Victoria. The Council became the first Northern Territory subscriber to the CouncilConnect platform in early 2020, following an agreement between WALGA and LGANT.
The Brief/Functionality
Market Creations Agency was commissioned to replace the Council's restrictive content management system with a flexible solution that would:
- Provide staff with comprehensive content editing capabilities
- Implement modules enabling greater administrative control
- Allow for frequent updates to Image Rotators, Quick Links and Mega Menu
- Support self-service content management for News and Events
- Enable timely updates to all page content
- Enhance community engagement through interactive features
Outcome
The completed website delivers significant improvements in both functionality and engagement:
- Enhanced content management flexibility for Council staff
- Improved interactivity through three integrated social media feeds
- Community participation via the Events Calendar submission feature
- Resident feedback capabilities through Consultations module
- Streamlined communications via MailChimp integration
The entire project, from initial design through development to launch, was completed within a single month to meet the Council's urgent timeline. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the sudden closure of Council offices, Market Creations Agency responded by expediting the website launch, delivering the platform ahead of schedule. This quick response ensured the Council could continue serving their community effectively while staff worked remotely.