A new customer services portfolio will be created within Brisbane City Council’s civic cabinet to leverage the benefits of technology.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Councillor Sarah Hutton would lead the new portfolio as part of a refresh of Civic Cabinet roles.
“Using technology to deliver better, faster and more accessible digital services to Brisbane residents on Council’s website and app will be a key focus of the role,” Lord Mayor Schrinner said.
He said Cr Hutton would also be responsible for Council’s call centre, which receives more than 850,000 call per year, libraries, cemeteries and compliance.
“Our call centre will continue to deliver an incredible service, but we know many Brisbane residents would prefer to interact with Council online, provided it is easy to do.
“New digital initiatives will give residents more control over how they interact with Council while also ensuring traditional methods of contact remain available.”
Lord Mayor Schrinner said a number of new initiatives would be introduced in the next 12 months including:
- Online accounts with single sign-on authentication through MyGov, Google or Apple.
- Personalised digital dashboards to help residents interact with Council, from dog registrations to rates bills, bookings, payments, and event tickets.
- A new services portal so residents can log requests, track updates, and change their address across all Council systems in one place.
- Improved access through the Brisbane App where residents can manage their Council account, get service notifications and access real-time updates.
- Self-service and traditional channels to ensure flexibility for those who prefer online tools and those who want to speak directly to staff.
- Web chat bots and AI support to make it easier to find information and resolve issues instantly.
- Extended reality tours of Brisbane’s iconic landmarks using VR and emerging technologies.
He said there would be a number of portfolio changes due to the creation of the new customer services portfolio.
“Responsibility for waste will be transferred to the Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee to ensure a more integrated approach of protecting our natural assets while reducing landfill and City Standards will merge into the infrastructure portfolio.”
The Brisbane City Council Civic Cabinet is:
- Fiona Cunningham: Finance and City Governance.
- Adam Allan: City Planning, Suburban Renewal and Economic Development.
- Vicki Howard: Community and the Arts.
- Sarah Hutton: Customer Services.
- Andrew Wines: Public Transport.
- Ryan Murphy: Infrastructure.
- Tracy Davis: Environment, Parks and Sustainability.
Councillor Sandy Landers will remain the Chair of Council, and Councillor Steven Huang will remain the Deputy Chair of Council.
