News - MoSS Portral Release
Government web portal increasingly popular
14 July 2004
The award-winning government web portal www.govt.nz is increasing in popularity amongst New Zealand Internet users with over 22,000 visitors a week, State Services Minister Trevor Mallard said today.
"Compared to the same period last year, there has been a 26 per cent increase in the number of visitors to the site, nearly 5,000 extra visitors a week. What is particularly encouraging is that, over the same period, there has been a 36 per cent increase in the number of domestic visitors to the portal, nearly 3,500 per week," Trevor Mallard said.
The government web portal, the NetGuide Best Government Website winner in 2003, is currently averaging around 13,000 domestic visitors a week.
"This means that more New Zealanders are using the portal to access government information and services over the Internet," Trevor Mallard said.
A recent survey by Victoria University confirmed that rural people were high users of government online, greatly appreciating the ability to contact government at a time that suited them.
The survey also found that more than 70 per cent of the participants used government on the Internet.
"Making government services more accessible and more responsive to the diverse range of needs of New Zealanders is a top priority for our government. If a farmer wants to log on and download information before feeding stock in the morning, the portal helps them to do this.
"It means that people all over the country can run their businesses and their lives according to their individual needs, using technology to assist them in their dealings with government services.
"The increasing popularity of the portal indicates New Zealanders are embracing this technology. Future developments for the portal, currently being carried out by the State Services Commission�s E-government Unit, will enable even easier access and increased functionality," Trevor Mallard said.
The survey also noted that participants had a much higher level of trust in government on the Internet than they do for the Internet in general.
