GOVERNMENT HOUSE New Zealand

6 April 2009 Media release

New Governor-General website goes live

The Governor-General of New Zealand has a new website that allows browsers to take a video tour of Government House Wellington prior to its closure.

The website (www.gg.govt.nz), which has a fresh modern look, also includes new image galleries and allows readers to subscribe to new content through the use of an RSS feed. Significant resources for the media—speeches, press releases, lists of engagements and downloadable photographs—are also available.

Governor-General, Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, said the website was a significant improvement over its predecessor.

“The internet is transforming how all government agencies communicate with the public and the Office of Governor-General is no different in this respect. While the old site had worked well for the last five years, it had been overtaken by improvements in internet software and its general look and feel.

“The new website contains easy to read information on the role of the Governor-General, Government House and New Zealand’s system of government. Government House has also produced two educational resources for primary and secondary school teachers to use designed to fit the new national curriculum.”

The video tour of Government House is a feature of the website, he said.

“Before the conservation project began, thousands of people visited Government House every year for investiture and awards ceremonies or for tours of the public areas of the House. The video tour allows all New Zealanders to see how this almost century-old heritage building looked before its closure.”

The launch of the new website has been combined with the publication of a new booklet, New Zealand’s Governor-General, that explained the Governor-General’s role. A PDF of the booklet was also available on the site.

The new website uses an open source content management system (Drupal) that allows for easier updating of pages and greater integration of content. The site has also been configured to meet State Services Commission e-government guidelines.

The build and design of the site was undertaken by Wellington web company Signify Ltd and Alto Design Studio with staff in Government House and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

ENDS

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