This story was made in collaboration with Safe Software partner Seamless.
Improving the data behind critical council services
For the West Coast Regional Council (WCRC), accurate property data is essential to one of its most important responsibilities: calculating rates. However, property information was sourced from multiple systems across 23 separate rating districts, making it difficult to maintain consistent, trusted data.
Information from district councils, property valuation provider Quotable Value (QV), Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and internal systems all needed to come together before rates could be calculated. The process was largely manual, inconsistent, and lacked transparency, reducing confidence in both the data and the outcomes it supported.
Recognizing the need for change, WCRC partnered with Safe Software’s partner, Seamless, to improve data quality and build a scalable foundation for future digital services.
Connecting critical systems with FME
Working alongside Eagle Technology, Seamless used FME to integrate data from ArcGIS, LINZ web services, Civica Authority (ERP), Quotable Value (QV), and district council datasets into a single automated workflow.
By replacing manual data gathering with automated integrations, WCRC established a trusted property dataset that supports the council’s rating process. FME also provided greater visibility into how information moved between systems, allowing staff to identify issues earlier and better understand the impact of changes.
“Before, we didn’t know why something was broken,” says Blair Keily, Group Manager – Information Services at WCRC. “Now, we can see the process, track the outcomes, and intervene early.”
As the project progressed, several significant data gaps were uncovered. Where core system changes weren’t possible, FME enabled Seamless to develop reliable workarounds that kept the project moving while maintaining data quality.
Automating rates preparation and improving confidence
One of the most immediate improvements was seen during rates season.
Previously, preparing property data for rates calculations was a manual process involving multiple data sources, inconsistent records, and significant effort from council staff. With automated FME workflows in place, the process became faster, more transparent, and considerably more reliable.
“The first two years I was here, rates season was chaos,” says Blair. “This year, the rates went out… and silence. That’s a huge metric for us.”
The improved visibility into the data has strengthened confidence across the organization. Corporate Services teams now receive the information they need from GIS when they need it, while stronger trust in the underlying data has improved collaboration between departments.
Building a foundation for future digital services
Beyond improving today’s processes, WCRC has established a scalable foundation for future initiatives.
As the number of users across the council has grown, FME has helped align data and systems to scale with that demand, ensuring staff continue to receive accurate, consistent information when they need it.
By integrating critical systems and automating data management with FME, the council has shifted from reacting to data issues to proactively improving services for staff and the community.
“We are now providing people with solutions, rather than explaining why we couldn’t do something,” says Blair. “I’ve also been able to step out and focus on other areas like future strategy rather than reactive issues.”
The next phase of WCRC’s digital transformation is the development of a new public portal that will provide ratepayers with a modern, accessible way to interact with council information.
With trusted data and automated workflows now in place, WCRC is better positioned to scale its services, strengthen decision-making, and continue improving outcomes for the communities it serves.
