Dunedin's far-flung ratepayers could soon praise or berate their city councillors via an internet video conference.
Dunedin City Council staff are considering launching a trial of the service, which would see video-conferencing hardware made available for ratepayers in far-flung parts of the city, such as Waikouaiti or Middlemarch.
Council customer services general manager Grant Strang said the technology would allow ratepayers to talk "face to face" with council staff or elected representatives, without travelling to the centre of Dunedin.
He said the idea was being investigated by staff, but was only a concept at present and would require approval before being trialled.
One of the Civic Centre's new reception meeting rooms was already "cabled up" for video conferencing, and computer hardware could be added to outlying council service centres, he said.
"The technology is there. It's just 'is there a need?' We will have to do a bit more work on that," he said.
The proposal - if it proceeded - would tie in with the council's digital strategy, which included other initiatives such as the introduction of free wireless internet network in the Octagon, he said.
