MEDIA RELEASE

Small but punchy news from Environment Bay of Plenty

For immediate release: Friday 9 March 2007

It’s small in size but packs a big punch.

A totally new style of publication will replace Environment Bay of Plenty’s long-time flagship newspaper in Bay of Plenty letterboxes this month.

It has a new name, a more modern look and will be distributed more frequently. But, most important of all of all, it picks up on today’s trend towards using electronic media.

Called Backyard, the publication strongly links with the regional council’s website, directing readers to it if they want to know more about an article. It also comes with an electronic version which people can sign up for.

“Today, so many of us are suffering from information overload,” says Environment Bay of Plenty’s community relations group manager, Bruce Fraser. “Our research has shown that people want to keep us up-to-date on things but they either want their information in snippets – so they can skim and check they’re not missing anything important – or they want really in-depth information like full reports.”

Backyard is designed to meet both of these needs, Mr Fraser explains.

It will be distributed to every household in the region eight times a year, instead of five, which means the council’s news will get to the community sooner. However, it is a quick read - eight pages of slightly less than A4 size. The articles are short but most include a website link to more information. Every issue will include stories and opinions from regional leaders and people on the street.

“We called it Backyard because we consider our region to be a communal backyard. It’s where we live, work and play together, and it’s a very special place. We hope that Backyard will encourage people to participate in the region’s future. We also hope they like it, and just enjoy reading it!”

You can also sign up for the email version by emailing backyard@envbop.govt.nz.

The first edition of Backyard will be delivered to more than 100,000 Bay of Plenty households between Saturday 17 March and Monday 19 March. Mr Fraser invites readers to email the Backyard address with their comments on the new newsletter.

Ends

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