Across Australia, councils are grappling with the same challenge: how to deliver better resident experiences while managing rising demand with limited staff. The City of Wanneroo, one of the fastest‑growing local government areas in the country, faced this dilemma head‑on. With a population of more than 243,000 residents and projections to grow by 80% in the next 20 years, the council’s rates system was buckling under pressure.
Wanneroo’s story is one of transformation. By embracing Payble’s payment experience platform, the council cut 12,000 hours of manual work, lifted resident satisfaction to 4.72 out of 5, and achieved an NPS near 80%, all within months.
This blog offers a high‑level look at how they did it, and why their journey matters for every council navigating growth, cost‑of‑living pressures, and rising community expectations.
The Challenge: Growth Meets Manual Processes
Wanneroo’s population growth was both a blessing and a burden. While new residents brought vibrancy and opportunity, the council’s rates system was designed for a smaller, slower city.
• 12,000+ staff hours lost annually to manual processes
• Over 7,000 payment arrangements handled by hand
• Rigid instalments that didn’t match household budgeting patterns
• Limited digital options, forcing residents to call or visit in person
For residents, this meant frustration. For staff, it meant exhaustion. Call centre volumes were high, and every balance check meant another call. The rates team was small, with no plans to expand, leaving general customer service staff to absorb the workload.
The Economic Backdrop
Wanneroo’s challenges were compounded by broader economic pressures. Property prices in Perth had surged, leaving households stretched thin. Inflation added further stress, with property rates and charges rising by 6.3% in 2025, the sharpest increase in over a decade.
Families who had never struggled before were suddenly feeling the impact. Younger households with mortgages and family expenses were particularly exposed. For a young, digital‑first population, the lack of online flexibility was more than inconvenient, it was unacceptable.
The Breakthrough: Payble’s Platform
Wanneroo chose to implement Payble, Australia’s first payment experience platform for local government. The decision was driven by several key factors:
- Automation of direct debits: eliminating manual data entry and file processing
- Flexible payment options: weekly, fortnightly, or monthly plans to suit household budgets
- Self‑service management: residents could skip or cancel payments without calling the council
- PCI‑compliant card payments: secure transactions without costly compliance overhead
- Cost‑effective solutions: lower transaction fees and reduced printing and postage costs
In just 10 weeks, the council moved from firefighting to proactive support. Residents gained mobile self‑service options, and staff were freed from repetitive processing.
The Results: Immediate and Measurable
The impact was clear and fast:
- 9,000+ flexible payment plans activated within months
- Resident satisfaction lifted to 4.72/5, with NPS near 80%
- Direct debit forms reduced to near zero, cutting manual workload
- Call centre volumes dropped, freeing staff from 12,000+ hours of repetitive processing
One resident captured the sentiment perfectly:
“I tried to call and there was a 25‑minute wait. I found this online digital service so fast, easy to follow. Thank you for the service.”
For staff, the transformation was just as profound. Sensitive payment information was no longer handled over the phone. Direct debit forms, once a mountain of manual work, disappeared. The rates team shifted from firefighting to proactive community support.
Lessons Learned
Wanneroo’s experience offers practical insights for councils everywhere:
- Flexibility is essential: rigid instalments create stress and arrears; flexible options prevent problems before they escalate.
- Automation scales: manual processes don’t grow with your population; automation frees staff time and ensures councils can keep pace.
- Design for residents: systems built around household budgeting patterns deliver better outcomes than those designed for administrative convenience.
- Integrate with existing workflows: technology that works within current council systems is adopted faster and with less resistance.
- Respect builds trust: when residents feel choice and control, satisfaction rises, penalties fall, and councils recover more revenue without damaging relationships.
Why This Matters for Councils Everywhere
Wanneroo’s journey is not unique. Councils across Australia and New Zealand are facing similar pressures:
- Rapid population growth
- Rising property values and household stress
- Small rates teams with limited capacity
- Residents demanding digital, flexible options
The lesson is simple but powerful: councils don’t need to choose between operational efficiency and community support. With the right approach, you can achieve both.
The Big Picture
Wanneroo proved that even the largest, fastest‑growing councils can modernise quickly. By embracing automation and flexibility, they cut thousands of hours of manual work while improving resident satisfaction.
Growth is inevitable. Stress doesn’t have to be. With Payble, councils can modernise their payment systems, free staff from repetitive tasks, and deliver resident experiences that score near‑perfect.
This blog is just the high‑level summary. The full case study dives deeper into:
👉 Download the full Wanneroo case study to see exactly how the council achieved these results, and how your council can too.
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