Moorabool Shire Council is a vibrant local government authority located in Victoria, Australia, serving a diverse community spanning urban, rural, and industrial landscapes. Established to provide essential services and support to its residents, the council is committed to fostering sustainable development, enhancing quality of life, and promoting community well-being.
With a growing population, Moorabool Shire Council faces unique challenges and opportunities that come with managing a peri-urban environment. It is dedicated to ensuring that its services are efficient, accessible, and responsive to the needs of its constituents. This commitment drives its strategic initiatives and prioritises innovation and technology to enhance service delivery.
Under the leadership of CEO Derek Madden, the Council has embarked on a transformative journey, leveraging technology to modernise operations and streamline processes. A significant milestone has been a partnership with Datascape, which has positioned the council as a visionary leader in local governance. Through this collaboration, Moorabool Shire Council is now setting new standards for efficiency and responsiveness in the public sector.
When CEO Derek Madden took up leadership of the Council more than five years ago, a primary concern was its reliance on an unsupported platform for its rating system.
Victorian legislation also posed unique challenges, especially as the council’s peri-urban environment encompassed diverse ratings, including urban, rural, and industrial components. Given that a substantial part of its revenue comes from this system, the stakes were high.
“The financial viability of the council hinges on our rating system; if that’s not functioning correctly, we face significant challenges.”
Moorabool Shire Council ran a thorough tender process to address the issues. Datascape, an ERP (enterprise resource planning) system purpose-built for local government in Australia, emerged as the successful candidate.
“Adopting a more innovative approach to technology has always been my philosophy, and I believe in taking calculated risks for the betterment of the organisation."
Implementing the new rating module was not without its hurdles. Less than a year into the project, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Like organisations everywhere, Council staff had to pivot working remotely.
Fortunately, with a Software as a Service (SaaS) environment already in place, it was able to adapt swiftly, while continuing to roll out a large-scale technology project.
Despite the challenges of managing a project of this scale remotely, the team conducted extensive testing, running both the old and new systems in parallel to ensure accuracy and reliability.
"Running both the old and new systems in parallel was essential for ensuring accuracy, and I couldn't have wished for a better outcome from that testing phase.”
The outcome of collaborating with Datascape has been overwhelmingly positive. The new rating system launched with great success, producing rating notices in record time without any issues. Derek praised the efforts of both the Datascape team and his own staff for their hard work during the testing phase. Automating many previously manual processes, has significantly improved operational efficiency.
"The speed at which we produced our rating notices was remarkable, and it’s a testament to both Datascape and our dedicated staff."
One notable achievement was the recognition of the rating team, which won internal awards for their dedication and performance. This was particularly meaningful to the team, says Derek, as it was voted for by peers within the organisation. This acknowledgement not only boosted morale but reinforced the importance of the rating system to the Council's financial health.
The Council has also achieved a tenfold increase in integrated Datascape ERP web form usage over the past three years, facilitating seamless data transfer and shifting how the community engages with council services. This transition has allowed staff to focus on more critical task to enhance service delivery.
"Our partnership with Datascape has been a collaborative journey, characterised by open communication and a shared commitment to success."
Derek says the importance of open communication throughout the project were critical to its success. Regular meetings—both quarterly with senior staff and weekly with operational teams—ensured that any challenges were addressed promptly.
Datascape viewed the relationship as a partnership rather than a simple implementation, he says. This mindset was crucial for staff, who were accustomed to testing completed products rather than working through an evolving system. The ability to see the complete picture as components of the system were rolled out helped build confidence among staff.
Looking ahead, Derek envisages further integrating technology to enhance service delivery while maintaining cost-effectiveness. His overarching goal is to deliver the best services possible to the community at optimal value.
Derek believes the full integration of Datascape into the Council's operations is a key enabler for future success. The new rating system has set a solid foundation and building on that momentum, finance integration is the next critical step in achieving a comprehensive operational model, he says.
He acknowledged that technology should complement human resources rather than replace them. The Council aims to scale its operations without a proportional increase in staff, allowing for more resources to be allocated to essential services like road maintenance and community engagement. Derek’s vision reflects a commitment to leveraging technology to improve efficiency while ensuring that the human element remains integral to service delivery.
A cloud-based ERP purpose-built for local government in Australia and New Zealand.
