Welcome to New Zealand Government

Coming to a computer near you!

www.govt.nz

Find out about government agencies • File forms
Make payments • Choose your time and place

At the time of the last census, 37% of New Zealand households had Internet access. Many more can access the Internet through work, school or public facility such as a library. Government agencies are working together to make the best of the opportunities the Internet offers. The aim is to give people improved access to government services, and enable transactions to take place at more convenient times and places.

The initial focus has been on developing ways to deliver government information online. The New Zealand Government Portal website (www.govt.nz) provides a 'where to go' facility. It helps people to find which government agency deals with the issue they are concerned with.

Individual department and agency web sites provide 'how to' explanations and increasing access to electronic templates – paperless forms people can use to register for services or grants or to meet compliance requirements.

The New Zealand vision for electronic government envisages reinventing government through the use of information technology.

In the past, government services have been delivered mainly through departmental or agency offices. But changes in population patterns and a focus on cost has led to the withdrawal of permanent departmental and agency representation from many cities and towns, particularly in provincial and rural areas. Electronic government provides an alternative way of dealing with government agencies, bringing a virtual government office to every wired household or community.

The electronic revolution in the delivery of government services is expected to lead not only to increased effectiveness, but also to improved efficiency.

Increasingly, people will begin to sift information for themselves and contact officials at a distance using a variety of channels. While these new channels improve governments’ ability to disburse information, they also allow rapid feedback so that policy designers can take account of what the public think.