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 and welcoming greater 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 “good” news about local community organisations, businesses, events and people’s achievements along with community announcements such as emergency updates and weather warnings.
It’s a key tool to deliver Council’s 2021-26 corporate plan commitment to Open Communication:
- High community engagement with social media platforms and Council websites.
- Regular media reporting of Council issues that provides fair and balanced coverage.
- Innovative utilisation of data and technology to encourage community engagement.
Bundaberg Now publishes all news from Council business units on a single platform, reducing the need for multiple websites and social media accounts.
Council has more than 50 business units which need to promote their news, activities, events and services including the Multiplex, Fairymead House, parks and gardens, water, civil works, the zoo, etc.
The website is available free of charge to local businesses and community organisations to share their news and information, and many have taken advantage of this service.
This is especially important for people outside Bundaberg and Bargara, and Council is committed to keeping our entire region informed.
Many large organisations operate their own news platforms including sporting codes (eg www.afl.com.au) and universities.
The difference with Bundaberg Now is that Council makes it available for community use.
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.
Communications has been identified in community surveys as a priority service area for Council.
Bundaberg Now is an effective communications tool which reaches more than 70,000 people online every month and has 30,000 followers on Facebook.
It’s more effective and less expensive than alternatives like newsletters and newspaper advertising.
To pass on a news tip, enquire about contributing news or ask about becoming a “citizen journalist” please email news@bundabergnow.com
Frequently asked questions
Who produces Bundaberg Now?
Bundaberg Now is edited and curated by members of the Communications team at Bundaberg Regional Council.
Writers include Council staff and community members.
Articles are invited and accepted from individuals, community organisations, businesses and agencies.
To enquire about partnership opportunities or contributing, please contact us.
What does it cost?
The annual operating costs for Bundaberg Now are about $5000 per year.
What about newspapers or newsletters?
A full-page newspaper advertisement can cost about $1900 and a home-delivered newsletter to 45,000 households would likely cost in the order of $50,000 to print and distribute.
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.
I’ve read on Facebook that Bundaberg Now costs $1.8 million per year, is that true?
No, it’s about $5000 per year.
The Communications team, which produces Bundaberg Now among its other duties, has 13 staff who work in various roles including internal communications and external marketing.
The overall budget this year is $1,419,359 including wages and including $250,000 for Council advertising.
This amount is lower than the 2020-21 and 2019-20 budgets, reflecting savings achieved during a restructure and efficiency gains.
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.
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.
Only 1-3 of Council communications staff are working on Bundaberg Now at any given time.
The others work in graphic design, internal communications, media liaison, corporate website management, marketing and corporate social media.
The team is responsible for disaster communications and marketing Council venues, events and services, eg the Childers Festival, Taste Bundaberg, libraries, recycling, water conservation, the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre and art galleries.
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 achieved best value by no longer outsourcing graphic design and video production.
For example, to outsource production of a high-quality video costs in the order of $20,000.
Council now produces video internally which enabled special productions last year for Anzac Day during the Covid-19 lockdown and a tribute to victims of the Childers backpacker fire.
How do you know if the community supports Bundaberg Now?
Online readership and social media stats indicate a high degree of community engagement.
The existence of Bundaberg Now was an issue at the 2020 local government elections and the Mayor publicly expressed his support for Bundaberg Now against opposition from one of the other candidates who proposed an alternative approach.
The Mayor was re-elected, along with all the councillors who sought re-election.
Has community satisfaction with Bundaberg Now been analysed?
There was increased community satisfaction with Council communications in the 2019 community survey compared with 2014.
Further analysis will be undertaken when the next community survey occurs later in 2021.
Has Bundaberg Now changed external perceptions about the Bundaberg Region?
Bundaberg Now articles appear in search results on Google News and Microsoft News, providing a more balanced perspective for people outside the region.
Previously, these searches showed a higher proportion of court and crime reports from commercial media.
What’s the reach of Bundaberg Now?
In the last six months of 2021, the website had an average of more than 70,000 visitors per month and over one million page views altogether.
Nearly 80 per cent of the audience was from Queensland.
The Facebook page has more than 35,000 followers and Instagram 5500.
