When thinking of a place in New Zealand on the brink of becoming a digital-first town the small South Island town of Gore might not be your first pick. But unlike rapidly developed towns such as Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Gore is fast becoming a tech capital, unifying their community and setting them apart from other councils.

So how is a small town with a population of over 12,800 becoming a tech leader in New Zealand?

Recently, New Zealand has been experiencing a decline in voter turnout, and with the latest elections in 2022, it was no surprise the numbers were dropping.

To avoid disappointing turnouts when it comes to elections, Gore has adopted Datacom’s council-specific customer service app, Antenno as early as 2019 to become the leader in “community connectivity”.

The mobile app is created by New Zealand’s largest technology company, Datacom. Through the app, councils can send targeted notifications based on the places and topics people care about.

If a community member in Gore spots a problem or has a suggestion, they can use the app to send relevant authority.

Unlike other councils across the country who opt for e-newsletters, Gore is ahead of its time.

Peter Nelson, Managing Director of Software Products at Datacom says that Antenno is a perfect opportunity for mayors to communicate with all demographics and retain participation in the democratic process.

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“The next generation of voters is more digitally-connected than ever before, and councils need to ensure their communications cater to their audience – both now and into the future,” says Nelson.

In Gore, 34 percent of the population’s ratepayers are using Antenno, enabling the council to communicate with the public who are becoming more aware and facilitate more for the community.

“Being a small rural town at the very bottom of the country, many assume we don’t embrace tech, but the reality is quite different.  We have a forward-thinking leadership team that is passionate about embracing a digital-first strategy to ensure we’re as connected to our community as possible,” says Sonia Gerken, member of the Gore District Council.

“Gore punches above its weight when it comes to its tech solutions, demonstrating that you don’t need to have big budgets and enormous teams to create effective community communication solutions.”