‍“We’re stuck in meetings, documents, and emails — not making decisions, just moving data.” Sound familiar?

Across New Zealand’s local government agencies, a quiet crisis is draining productivity, demoralising staff, and hampering citizen services: information overload and administrative inefficiency. The culprit? A web of siloed systems, fragmented tools, and manual workflows that consume hours of valuable time - every single day.

The Problem You Know Too Well — But Can’t Name

Local councils are mission-driven. They exist to serve communities — whether that’s improving roads, delivering clean water, managing permits, or planning growth. But behind the scenes, too many public sector professionals are buried under low-value, repetitive work:

• Hunting for data across emails, SharePoint folders, and legacy systems.
• Writing the same reports again and again, tweaking old templates.
• Filling in forms, copying and pasting information between platforms.
• Chasing down approvals lost in email threads.

These tasks might seem small, but collectively, they cost thousands of hours each year — hours that could be spent on analysis, innovation, or better services.

Why This Hurts More Than You Think

This isn’t just a workflow issue. It’s a strategic risk.

• Lost Capacity: Staff spend up to 30% of their time on admin, not outcomes. That’s talent trapped in busywork.
• Slow Decisions: Scattered information leads to delays. Vital projects stall while teams chase clarity.
• Burnout: Repetitive, low-value work drains morale. Skilled professionals feel like data entry clerks.
• Missed Opportunities: Councils are under pressure to do more with less — but stuck without the time to think, plan, or innovate.

And while enterprise-level agencies may have data teams and RPA bots, NZ’s local governments often lack the resources to chase these solutions. Many leaders feel that “AI is for the big players” — not for their council. But that’s a myth.

The AI Market Is Exploding — And It’s Only Getting More Confusing

The rise of AI tools has added fuel to the fire. Every week, there’s a new app promising to transform workflows, write documents, or “do your thinking for you.” But for most councils:

• The market feels fragmented and overwhelming.
• Every tool seems to need technical skills or developer input.
• No one has time to trial yet another app that might not fit.

According to ALGIM’s own survey insights, over 60% of council IT leaders cite AI adoption as both a priority and a puzzle. They know automation could help — but don’t know where to start, how to manage risk, or how to deliver real value without blowing the budget.

The Real Cost of Doing Nothing

Let’s be blunt. If local governments continue as-is:

• Service levels will decline under the weight of admin.
• Staff turnover will rise as skilled workers leave for more rewarding roles.
• Community expectations will outpace delivery, eroding trust.

And while this might feel inevitable, it’s not. There’s a better way — but before we talk solutions, the problem needs to be faced head-on.

What’s the Way Forward?

Imagine if your council’s planning team spent their week on strategy, not spreadsheets.

Imagine if your customer services staff had instant answers, instead of combing six systems.

Imagine if your digital transformation budget actually moved the dial.

These aren’t pipe dreams. They’re the opportunities being seized right now by forward-thinking councils — often with AI automation platforms that don’t require in-house data scientists or months of integration.

But the first step is awareness. Awareness that the status quo is more expensive than action. Awareness that your smartest people are being buried by your systems. And awareness that intelligent automation is not a luxury — it’s becoming a baseline for modern public service.

Are You Ready to Free Smart Minds in Local Government?

This isn’t a sales pitch. It’s a challenge.

• Are your people stuck in grunt work?
• Are decisions delayed by data chaos?
• Are you losing time to tasks that should be instant?

If the answer is “yes” — it’s time to dig deeper.

➡️ Read our guide: [The Cost of Tedious Work in NZ Local Government]

➡️ Explore how automation could reclaim thousands of staff hours.

➡️ See how other councils are making the shift — and winning.

Let’s start the conversation about the work that shouldn’t be part of your day — and how to change that.