Berrigan Shire Council: Halving Agenda Time and Transforming Meeting Confidence
Berrigan Shire Council
8,773
Chanalee Nicosia
When Berrigan Shire Council began reviewing its meeting processes, the challenge was clear: manual systems were slowing everything down, increasing risk, and placing pressure on a small team.
For Governance and Risk Officer Chanalee Nicosia, agenda preparation wasn’t just time-consuming; it was restrictive.
“We had a meeting management platform in place, but it was still very manual,” she said. “Preparing agendas could take hours, and if errors came up, it meant spending even more time going back in to fix them. We even had a dedicated computer just for uploading agendas, and once it started, no one could touch it.”
For Chanalee, the tipping point came down to one thing… time.
“The administration time was huge, and we needed to break that down and find a platform that could do everything efficiently.”
In October 2025, council went to tender seeking a user-friendly, SaaS-based solution and selected Resolve Meeting Management. By March 2026, they were live.
Small Team, Big Outcomes - A Smooth Implementation
Despite being a small team, implementation was seamless and highly collaborative. Chanalee led the rollout, supported by IT and directors, with no internal resistance.
“We didn’t have any pushback,” she said. “The demo from the Redman team really helped; it clearly showed all the features and, more importantly, just how easy the system is to use. People could immediately see how it would simplify what we were doing day to day. That, combined with the ability to fully brand and customise our portal to reflect our council, and further engage our councillors made it an easy decision. Resolve didn’t feel like a new system. It felt like a shift to a more modern, professional way of working.”
The ease of implementation, as well as onsite, one-on-one councillor training, played a critical role in adoption for Berrigan.
“Taking our councillors on the journey and guiding them through the councillor portal made a real difference,” she said. “And the fact we were able to implement the platform with such a small team really speaks to how intuitive and easy Resolve is to roll out.”
“Resolve didn’t feel like a new system. It felt like a shift to a more modern, professional way of working."
Immediate Impact: Efficiency Without Compromise
Chanalee explains that the shift was immediate. What had once been a time-consuming, manual process quickly gave way to something far more streamlined, without compromising on quality or control. For the team, the impact wasn’t just noticeable; it was transformative, changing how they worked day to day and how confident they felt in the process.
“The difference for us has been huge,” Chanalee said. “What used to take hours has easily been cut in half, if not more. The instant upload is honestly mind-blowing; there’s no waiting, it’s just live. Being able to drag and drop attachments has made things so much easier, and having multiple people contribute to a report takes a lot of pressure off. We’re not relying on one person anymore. And one of the biggest things is that Resolve captures everything in one place. We’re not duplicating work across systems or having to upload papers into our EDRMS; it’s just simplified the whole process.”
“What used to take hours has easily been cut in half, if not more. The instant upload is honestly mind-blowing; there’s no waiting, it’s just live."
Even more telling was the shift across the broader team. Tasks that once caused friction or required extra support quickly became second nature.
“I stopped hearing from staff who used to have issues with our previous platform, and that’s when I knew we were onto a good thing. They were just getting it done.”
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The team at Berrigan Shire Council have a fully branded and customised portal to reflect their council
A Connected Meeting Experience
While the initial benefits were felt behind the scenes, it was during live meetings that the real transformation became clear.
With Resolve in place, Berrigan was able to bring together every part of the meeting experience - connecting technology, people, and information in a way that simply wasn’t possible before. Integration with the Council Chambers AV meant meetings were more seamless and professional, while the live display of minutes created greater visibility and clarity in the room.
For councillors, the shift was just as significant. With their own dedicated portal and easy access to agenda packets, reports, and insights, they were able to engage more confidently with meeting materials. No more scrolling through lengthy documents or searching for the right version; everything they needed was presented clearly, in one place, making it easier to prepare, participate, and make informed decisions.
“The agenda packet is a game changer,” Chanalee said. “Having everything structured, accessible, and easy to navigate means councillors can quickly get to what matters. It’s taken away the friction and given them more confidence going into meetings, because they know they have the full picture right in front of them.”
“The agenda packet is a game changer. Having everything structured, accessible, and easy to navigate means councillors can quickly get to what matters. It’s taken away the friction and given them more confidence going into meetings, because they know they have the full picture right in front of them.”
What stood out most was how naturally behaviours began to change. Councillors who previously didn’t rely on digital tools began bringing their laptops without being prompted, simply because the experience made it easier.
“We used to have councillors who wouldn’t bring laptops to meetings. Now they all do, and they’re using them without any prompting. It’s not just a better system; it’s a more connected, intuitive way to run meetings,” explained Chanalee.
A Single Source of Truth for the Community
Previously reliant on external platforms like Facebook and YouTube to stream their council meetings, Berrigan is now moving toward a more controlled, centralised experience.
“The Community Portal is our single point of truth for our community,” said Chanalee. “There’s no more relying on external sources or guessing which platform has resulted in an interrupted stream, because it is now hosted in Resolve. This, combined with improved access to reports and minutes, results in a clearer, more professional experience for the community.”
Scaling Fast Across Council
What began as a solution for council meetings quickly proved its value across the entire organisation.
After going live in March, the team didn’t slow down; they built momentum. As confidence in the platform grew, so did its use. In less than two months, Resolve was rolled out beyond council meetings into Development Sessions, Executive Leadership Team meetings, and Audit, Risk and Improvement Committees.
Chanalee explains how this has resulted in consistency across all meetings withing Berrigan.
“We use Resolve for four different meeting types now, and we’ve only just gone live. That turnaround was incredible and speaks to how flexible Resolve is. We have been able to bring everything together into one connected platform - creating consistency, reducing duplication, and making it easier for teams to collaborate across the organisation.
“We use Resolve for four different meeting types now, and we’ve only just gone live. That turnaround was incredible and speaks to how flexible Resolve is."
Support That Sets the Standard
Throughout the transition, having reliable support made a meaningful difference to the team at Berrigan, underpinning the success of both implementation and ongoing use.
Chanalee explains how the responsiveness and reliability of the Redman team gave her and her colleagues the confidence to move quickly and make decisions without hesitation.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the support we have received from the team before, during and after our go-live,” she said. “My emails are answered within the hour, and the team goes beyond just answering questions. They help us to refine processes and provide clarity when we need it; they have been outstanding.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the support we have received from the team before, during and after our go-live. They help us to refine processes and provide clarity when we need it; they have been outstanding."
It’s clear that what started as a need to reduce workload has evolved into a solution that’s driving efficiency and consistency across the entire organisation. For Chanalee, the experience speaks for itself:
“I would 100% recommend Resolve to other councils. It’s a one-stop shop that more than halves your workload and improves efficiency across the organisation.”