Who got that job?

By LIANE VOISEY

Were you one of the 22 people who applied for this job and wondered who got it?

Job title: Communications manager, South Taranaki District Council.

Alia Ponga is out to challenge the "historic bureaucratic perception of older gentlemen in grey suits making decisions without the input of the community."

In her new role as communciations manager with South Taranaki District Council, she can't wait to help build "awareness of the council and what it does within the community".

She's already had success, and in an area that has made frustrated ratepayers all around the rest of New Zealand jealous.

Ponga has been helping spread the word about the council's new 48-hour Express Resource Consent scheme.

It has promised to process resource requests for non-notified activities such as building a garage, extending a dwelling or erecting a sign within 48 hours and give the customer a verbal reply or their money - a flat $220 fee - back.

"We are the first council in the country for this service," says Ponga.

"I'm passionate about people and their ability to shape the community they contribute to," she says. "The new Local Government Act enables local authorities now more than ever to focus on community outcomes."

Ponga spent the previous couple of years working in Melbourne as communications consultant for ANZ, before returning home to New Zealand.

At ANZ, it was her job to improve internal communications strategy, developing and overseeing the bank's intranet site and enhancing the communication channels between the customer service contact centres in Australia and New Zealand.

Ponga, who studied commercial law, management and psychology at Victoria University, thinks that her experience at ANZ will enhance what she's doing now.

The council, she says, was looking for somebody with the ability to "not only improve internal communication within the council, but also to help improve external communication with the public", publicising what the council is doing well.

Now that the resource consent initiative has made the news, she's publicising the council's decision to make its libraries fine-free. Take note Auckland Libarary.