Bundaberg Now
About Bundaberg Now
Bundaberg Now was established by Council in January 2019 as a community service and to improve communication.
Bundaberg Now provides a free online platform for publishing news that's relevant to the Bundaberg Region.
This includes news and information from Council and regarding Council services.
The website also publishes news from groups, individuals and other organisations that's relevant to the Bundaberg Region, with many community groups seeking support to share their messages.
Bundaberg Now promotes a positive image of the Bundaberg Region to the rest of Queensland, Australia and the world.
The website highlights local community organisations, businesses, events and people’s achievements along with community announcements such as emergency updates and weather warnings.
Bundaberg Now publishes all news from Council business units on a single platform, reducing the need for multiple websites and social media accounts.
Council features a range of business units which have information, events and services to promote to the region whether it's roads, waste and recycling and parks and gardens or the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre, regional art galleries or the library.
Since its launch, Bundaberg Now has helped to highlight hundreds of local businesses, community groups and events.
Council has received a positive and appreciative response from many individuals and organisations who have had their stories shared through Bundaberg Now.
Anne Davies at Nardoo Nursery:
We had no budget for advertising but wanted to let people know about our nursery. From the very start Bundaberg Now has been so supportive and has written marvellous stories that have showcased our nursery and what we do. Without Bundaberg Now we would never have achieved the wonderful customer base we have now and have the ability to help support our clients with disability.
Geoff Strube, Bundaberg Tennis:
Tennis Bundaberg had great stories to tell the people of Bundaberg but no voice. That's where the talented writers and editors at Bundaberg Now were able to help. When they heard we had some of the oldest clay courts in Queensland where legends like Rod Laver honed their skills or that we wanted to launch a brand new game called Pickleball they told us they love good news stories. With a little bit of cleverness, they took our message and turned it into an internet sensation.
MyPolice Bundaberg:
On behalf of the Bundaberg Police we would like to thank Bundaberg Now for the article about our new local “MyPolice Bundaberg” Facebook page. Since the article was posted our engagements have increased dramatically meaning we are reaching more members of the community with important crime prevention information, current events and positive news stories.
To pass on a news tip or enquire about contributing to the platform please contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Who produces Bundaberg Now?
Bundaberg Now is edited and curated by members of the Communications team at Bundaberg Regional Council.
Articles are invited and accepted from individuals, community organisations, businesses and agencies.
To enquire about contributing, please contact us.
What does it cost?
Council’s annual financial investment to maintain the Bundaberg Now website is about $15,500 per year. The main cost is associated with secure hosting for the website which can maintain the high level of visitor numbers to the site.
What about newspapers or newsletters?
Distributing a newsletter to every household in the region would cost significantly more than $15,500 to print and mail – and that’s just for one edition!
The website ensures updates are provided to residents in a timely and cost effective manner and, importantly, provides no limitations to the number of updates we can share.
How about older people and people without internet?
Analytics from Facebook and Google show the Bundaberg Now audience is skewed towards older age groups and over 60s are proportionately represented.
Surveys show that 92 per cent of Australian adults have a smart phone.
Why isn’t Bundaberg Now mentioned in Council’s Budget document?
Departmental expenses are published in the annual report for all Council operations such as parks, pest management, food health, animal control, Hinkler Hall of Aviation, etc.
All operating expenses are audited internally and externally, overseen by the Audit and Risk Committee which has external members.
Bundaberg Now doesn’t have its own budget because the website is a communications tool like Facebook, newspapers and radio.
The website was built internally using free software at zero cost, except for commercial plugins and enhancements.
Why does Council produce video news?
Video is an important communications tool.
Council has saved money for ratepayers by consolidating advertising and marketing into a central hub and limiting the outsourcing of services like graphic design and video production.
For example, to outsource production of a high-quality video costs in the order of $20,000.
Council communications team now has the capacity to produce video internally.
How do you know if the community supports Bundaberg Now?
Online readership and social media stats indicate a high degree of community engagement.
How many people work on Bundaberg Now?
Anyone can contribute content to Bundaberg Now and it will be published if it meets the editorial guidelines.
Council’s communications team focuses its resources on promoting Council services, initiatives and events and producing campaigns to share this information with the community. Bundaberg Now is just one of the platforms used to share these messages with residents.
The team is responsible for disaster communications and marketing Council venues, events and services, e.g. the Childers Festival, Taste Bundaberg Festival, libraries, recycling, water conservation, the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre and art galleries.
