Whakatāne District Council’s paper-based property files are undergoing digitisation. The extensive file archive comprises 32,000 files and an estimated 5.5 million documents, and in line with best practice throughout the country, the Council is having each document scanned and audited so it will eventually be available online.

Whakatāne District Council General Manager Planning, Regulatory and Corporate Services, David Bewley, says that while the digitisation process will cause some short-term inconvenience, it provides long-term advantages in document security and ease of access and use.

“The file archive will be moved offsite for scanning,” he says, “and will be unavailable from 19 to 26 June while the files are being boxed and then transported. Once the scanning process begins, any file requested will be scanned and made available in approximately 24 hours.  

“This is a major undertaking, due to the volume of documents involved, but once the scanning process has been completed in late-2018, all files will be instantly available online, making access to property information much easier for residents. It will also reduce the need for staff involvement and free-up storage space.”

Anyone wishing to access a file during the scanning process can do so by contacting the Council’s Customer Services department on 07 306 0500, or email info@whakatane.govt.nz.