The Christchurch City Council has spent over $1 million on upgrading its website.
Christchurch City Council Photo: SUPPLIED
The council's IT service manager of digital channels, Dana Burnett, said the upgrade was needed because Christchurch residents had repeatedly told the council the website was outdated, difficult to use and not accessible.
Ms Burnett said the total cost of the upgrade was $1.2 million and that included new software, staff resources to design, develop and write content for the website, and staff training.
This was budgeted for in the IT capital budget for the 2015 financial year.
Ms Burnett said the website was last updated in 2009, and was hosted on systems that were no longer supported.
She said the new website was compatible with mobile devices, which is how 40 percent of visitors to the site access it.
Ms Burnett said the new council website would not require any significant change for some time.
Taxpayers' Union executive director Jordan Williams said the council had been irresponsible and should be spending ratepayers' money on the rebuild effort, not a website.
"This is a new record... We have previously criticised Marlborough District Council for spending $400,000 on their website, but Christchurch City Council make this fiscal recklessness seem modest," he said.