Websites for local government projects, without the agency overhead
I build WordPress sites for local government projects that need their own home: venues, galleries, tourism brands and community programs. Your council hosts the site and holds the admin login, I stay on as the person you call.
Who this is for
Council or local government projects that need their own website, and a budget that doesn’t suit a large agency engagement. The corporate website isn’t always the right place for it, and a full custom build is usually more than it needs.
Typical projects:
- A venue or gallery with its own brand and audience
- A regional tourism or events site shared across several councils
- A community program or campaign that needs a proper home online
- A site run by a small team inside a council, who need to be able to manage it themselves
Client Feedback
“It has been an absolute pleasure working with Sandy on this project. She took a sub-par website and transformed it into a very user-friendly and attractive site.
Her patience in taking input from more than one person was very much appreciated!
Sandy’s expertise and dedication have significantly enhanced our online presence, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.
Highly recommended!”
Perth Hills Tourism Alliance
Sites I’ve built or substantially renovated
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
EXPERIENCE PERTH HILLS
Experience Perth Hills is a regional tourism site substantially renovated by me starting in 2022. The site won Gold at the 2024 Excellence in Local Government Tourism awards, with the website central to the win.
Built for the Perth Hills Tourism Alliance, which consists of:
- City of Armadale
- City of Kalamunda
- Shire of Mundaring
- City of Swan
- Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale
The purpose of the site is show case tourist attractions within the five local government destinations which form the Perth Hills.
ZIG ZAG ART GALLERY
Zig Zag Art Gallery is owned and operated by the City of Kalamunda as part of the Zig Zag Cultural Centre.
For the first time, the gallery now has its own digital presence to showcase exhibitions and provide visitors with relevant information, rather than being part of the larger corporate website.
The site uses Custom Post Type functionality to display exhibition information in a way that’s straightforward for gallery staff to update and maintain.
KALAMUNDA PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
Kalamunda Performing Arts Centre is a venue website I built for the City of Kalamunda.
The purpose of the site is to promote the centre’s program of comedy, music and cabaret, send ticket buyers through to the box office, and bring in enquiries for venue hire.
It also covers the practical side of a visit: getting there, accessibility, a seating map and digital event programs.
NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANISATIONS TO A SIMILAR SCALE
REGEN WA
RegenWA is a regenerative agriculture website I built for Perth NRM, a not-for-profit, for-purpose organisation that leads environmental management, landcare, and sustainable agriculture programs across the Perth metropolitan and Swan regions. The purpose of the site is to share evidence-based information for Western Australian conditions, with links to events, news and resources, and to build a community of farmers and industry stakeholders.
It includes a getting started section for landholders, a newsletter and membership signup, event listings, and a library of reports, webinars and project updates.
PONY CLUB WA
It also carries resources for clubs, coaches and officials, and links through to the member login for registrations.
Made to measure, from standard parts
on tools that anyone can pick up, so you’re never stuck with me and never stuck without me.
- Your council hosts the site and holds the admin login from launch.
- It’s built on off-the-shelf WordPress tools, so another WordPress developer could take it over.
- I train your operations staff at handover and whenever staff change.
One invoice, everything covered
If you’d rather not manage the site’s upkeep yourselves, the care plan covers every part of it for one monthly/quarterly/annual invoice. No separate software licences to buy, renew or chase.
- Software and plugin licences included
- Regular updates
- Offsite backups
- Malware cleaning and restoration if something goes wrong
- Priority service when you need a fix
The same person, from start to finish
Agencies have staff turnover. The person who built your site often isn’t there by the time something breaks, and you end up explaining your site to someone new.
With me, the person who built the site is the person who answers when you call. I’ve been doing web design and digital marketing for over 14 years, and I’ve worked on the Experience Perth Hills site since 2022, so I know where things are and why they were built that way.
Client Feedback
This is what the client had to say about the experience of working with me on the Zig Zag Art Gallery website.
“Sandy is a delight to work with and has made the daunting task of building a new website from scratch seem effortless.
She has a sharp eye for design and attention to detail, and handed over the finished product with clear instructions, giving me the confidence to do my own updates and manage content. She was also a great communicator who worked effectively with the corporate teams and stakeholders who needed to be included and consulted.
I’m so pleased with the result – our website is now something that I am proud to share because it beautifully reflects and represents our business.”
A/Coordinator Activation & Experience, City of Kalamunda
Your questions answered
Who hosts the site and holds the admin logins?
The council or local government authority. Hosting is managed by your IT team or your chosen provider, and your staff have admin control.
What if you stop doing this type of work one day?
The site is built on standard WordPress with off-the-shelf tools, so any competent WordPress developer can take it over. There’s no custom code that only I understand.
What happens when our staff change?
I train the new people. That’s part of the arrangement, not an extra project.
Do we have to take the care plan?
No. It’s there if you want the upkeep taken off your plate.
What about insurance?
I have professional indemnity and public insurance and an ABN.
Client Feedback
“Working with Sandy on the Pony Club WA website has been a fantastic experience.
Her professionalism, reliability and communication have been outstanding, and her practical advice and support extended well beyond the website build itself. She guided us in breaking a large project into manageable stages, worked within our budget and availability, and made the process feel achievable rather than overwhelming. The result is a modern, user-friendly website with a significantly improved user experience.
We continue to value Sandy’s ongoing support and expertise as we further develop our digital presence.”
Tanya Appleby
General Manager, Pony Club WA
Got a project?
Tell me what the site is for, who it’s for and roughly when you need it and I’ll tell you straight whether it’s the sort of thing I can help you with.