Hobsons Bay City Council Case Study | Modern Property & Rates Management

Hobsons Bay City Council is a vibrant municipality located in Melbourne’s west, home to a rich heritage and significant environmental and economic assets. Guided by its 2030 Community Vision, Hobsons Bay is committed to building an inclusive, empowered, sustainable, and visionary community supported by progressive leadership and strong governance.

As part of its digital transformation strategy, Hobsons Bay City Council partnered with ReadyTech to modernise its property and rates management systems. By upgrading from legacy Property.GOV software to Ready Community Property & Rates, the Council strengthened its digital infrastructure, improved service delivery, and positioned itself for long-term growth and innovation.

The challenge

As Hobsons Bay City Council worked to bring its operations in line with its Community Vision and Council Plan, it became clear that delivering seamless, responsive services required a fresh approach. While their existing platform supported day-to-day operations, staff were spending too much time on manual tasks, workflows were fragmented, and data couldn’t easily flow between systems.

At the same time, residents were expecting more intuitive, accessible digital services. The Council needed a modernised solution that could streamline operations, connect information, and improve the customer experience - without disrupting essential services or adding unnecessary risk.

The Solution

To address these challenges, Hobsons Bay City Council implemented ReadyTech’s Ready Community Property & Rates platform as a strategic upgrade pathway.

Integrated, cloud-based platform

Ready Community Property & Rates replaced the legacy system with a secure, scalable, and fully integrated solution. The platform enables real-time data sharing and seamless connectivity with Microsoft Dynamics, SharePoint, Power BI, and other Council systems.

Streamlined operations

Automation of routine processes reduced manual handling and eliminated duplication. Integrated workflows improved consistency and reduced administrative burden across teams.

Customer-centric service delivery

The platform supports online portals, self-service functionality, and real-time communication channels. This empowers residents to access services on their own terms and improves responsiveness.

Lower-risk modernisation pathway

Rather than a full system replacement, the upgrade delivered modern functionality while aligning with existing ERP architecture. This reduced implementation risk and ensured continuity of critical services.

Strategic alignment

ReadyTech’s people-centric, innovation-driven approach closely aligned with the Council’s digital strategy, sustainability objectives, and commitment to community-focused outcomes.

Key outcomes

Improved operational efficiency

Automation and system integration have significantly reduced manual work and processing times. Staff can now focus on strategic initiatives and community engagement rather than administrative tasks.

Enhanced customer experience

Residents benefit from more accessible, intuitive, and responsive services. Digital self-service options and improved communication channels have strengthened engagement and satisfaction.

Seamless system integration

Modern API capabilities enable real-time data flow across departments. This has improved collaboration, reduced information silos, and supported connected service delivery.

Scalable and secure infrastructure

Built on Microsoft Azure, the platform provides enterprise-grade security and the flexibility to scale as community and organisational needs evolve.

Data-driven decision-making

Improved data management and analytics capabilities support evidence-based planning, performance measurement, and strategic investment decisions.

Supporting Hobsons Bay’s vision

The implementation of Ready Community Property & Rates directly supports the Council’s 2030 Community Vision:

Inclusivity and empowerment through accessible digital services

Sustainability via streamlined, paper-reduced processes

Innovation through modern, cloud-based infrastructure

Accountability enabled by accurate, integrated data

Community connection supported by transparent and responsive engagement

Technology has become a catalyst for change, enabling the Council to reimagine service delivery and strengthen organisational agility.

Advice for other councils

Based on its digital transformation journey, Hobsons Bay City Council offers the following insights:

Start with a clear vision aligned to community and organisational goals

Engage stakeholders early to build ownership and trust

Invest in integrated, cloud-based platforms with open APIs

Prioritise change management and staff capability building

Establish strong governance and structured decision-making

Embed continuous improvement and performance measurement

Choose secure, scalable solutions that support long-term resilience

Looking ahead

Hobsons Bay City Council’s partnership with ReadyTech reflects a long-term commitment to community-centric service design. By modernising its property and rates platform, Hobson’s Bay has laid strong foundations for future growth, improved resilience, and ongoing digital innovation.

The Council continues to explore new ways to leverage data, automation, and integrated systems to enhance service delivery and strengthen connections with the community.

Hobsons Bay City Council – modernising Property & Rates for a connected community