Survey will gauge our 'digital pulse'

Whanganui District Council wants to hear about internet access and the level of digital confidence in the Whanganui District. A community survey will be available online, in paper form and via phone call from 12 noon tomorrow, Thursday, 13 January 2022.

The survey is to help the council better understand the current state of online access and services throughout our district.

The council’s Connected Community Advisor, Jo Buckingham, says, “As we implement the council’s digital strategy, this information will help us gauge the need for improvements to digital access or support in our libraries and community organisations. We can then look to attract national funding for digital inclusion initiatives.” Jo Buckingham says everyone in the Whanganui district is encouraged to complete the survey and help others to do so. “It’s not just for those who use the internet regularly,” she says.

“For those people who do not use the internet there will be opportunities to participate by paper, at events or by phone. Council staff and volunteers will also be doing mail drops in some suburbs and door knocking to help people complete the survey and make sure that a wide range of people are enabled to participate. “It is important that the survey shows both the good and not so good stories of people’s digital journeys in the community,” Jo Buckingham says.

The survey includes the chance to win one of several prizes generously donated by Tuatahi First Fibre (formally known as Ultrafast Fibre). Prizes include one of three tablets and 12 Prezzy Cards to the value of $25.00 dollars each. To complete the online survey and for more information, please visit: www.whanganui.govt.nz/digital-survey or call 06 349 0001 quoting the digital survey.

The survey on internet access and digital confidence in Whanganui closes at 5.00pm on Tuesday, 22 February 2022.