Three Whakatipu community organisations will be receiving free software solutions to cut down on tedious paperwork.

From 16 groups that applied for assistance from the new Community Tech Lab (CTL) initiative, Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark Sky Sanctuary, Whakatipu Reforestation Trust and Queenstown Mountain Bike Club are the lucky first recipients.

Funded through the council’s economic diversification fund, CTL involves three local software engineers, paired with juniors, developing programmes for these groups — under the oversight of Queenstown Resort College tech ambassador, Pradeesh Parameswaran.

Programme chair Giovanni Stephens says “all three had a clear problem that a small piece of software could fix”.

At Glenorchy, sky brightness readings are written down by hand, then typed into a spreadsheet.

The reforestation trust tracks data on spreadsheets that don’t talk to each other.

And the mountain bike club has to carry out regular trail audits, under new national guidelines, which are noted in the field and typed up afterwards.

“A lot of bike clubs will be dealing with the same audits, so there’s a good chance this one travels,” Stephens says.

He adds the programme is just as much about the local tech community — “it’s a chance for our developers to work together, learn from others and give something back to the place they live”.

The finished tools will be shown off at the FLINT showcase hui on November 26.

scoop@scene.co.nz