Government Website Design Built for Compliance, Clarity, and Public Trust

Secure, accessible websites for Australian government agencies — federal, state, and local. WCAG-compliant as standard. ISO 27001 certified. 

18+ years of experience

ISO 27001 Certified

AWS Hosting Experts

99% Uptime Gurantee

Trusted by Australia’s most respected organisations

Government websites carry obligations that most vendors aren’t built to meet

WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, PSPF and ISM alignment, privacy legislation, and constituents who have no choice but to use your platform. Most agencies also inherit legacy systems where the comms team can’t update a page without raising an IT ticket.

 

Butterfly has worked with federal, state, and local government since 2006. We understand the compliance environment, the procurement process, and how public sector teams actually work.

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Let’s discuss how we can transform your digital presence and drive meaningful impact.

Compliant by design. Clear for every user.

Butterfly brings together deep government-sector experience, ISO 27001-certified security practices, and WCAG expertise, built into every stage of our process. We understand the Australian Government Design System, the Web Accessibility National Transition Strategy, and the procurement landscape that shapes how public-sector digital projects are delivered.

 

 

We work with federal, state, and local government agencies and we stay long after launch, so your platform evolves as your obligations and community needs change.

WCAG-Compliant Website Design

Built to WCAG 2.2 AA from the first design decision, not patched after launch.

Discovery and Stakeholder Engagement

Structured workshops to map obligations, audiences, and content requirements before any design work begins.

Information Architecture and UX

Navigation and content structure designed for the full spectrum of your audience, from constituents with low digital literacy to professionals navigating complex policy content.

CMS and Governance

Role-based permissions, editorial workflows, and content governance your comms team can manage without IT dependency.

Secure Australian Hosting

AWS infrastructure hosted within Australia, backed by ISO 27001-certified security processes. Quarterly vulnerability scans, proactive patching, and transparent reporting included.

Ongoing Support and Compliance

A dedicated support desk that stays with you as accessibility standards and security requirements evolve.

Years

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Industry Awards​

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Projects​

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A Track Record Across All Tiers of Government.

Our public sector clients include the Victorian Government, WorkSafe, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, and the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW. The Australian Government’s Digital Transformation Office has recommended Butterfly’s guide to clean code as a resource for software engineers.

Case studies of our recent work

How Screen Australia achieved a contemporary, accessible digital presence for a diverse national audience.
Empowering remote communities through a culturally safe and accessible website
Empowering job seekers with an accessible website and smart service connection

Meet your web development team leaders

Our team brings together strategists, designers, developers, and project managers who care deeply about what they build and who they make it for.

Darryl Dillon-Shallard

Darryl Dillon-Shallard

Chief Growth Officer

Caitlin Smooker

Caitlin Smooker

Operations Manager

Daniel Woodhouse

Daniel Woodhouse

Chief Technology Officer

Trusted by leading Australian professionals

Ready to build a government website your community can rely on?

Speak with one of our government digital specialists about your agency’s obligations, your audiences, and what your current platform is and isn’t delivering. 

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Frequently asked questions about government website design

We work with federal agencies, state government departments, statutory bodies, local councils, and government-approved bodies across Australia. Our public sector clients include the Victorian Government, WorkSafe, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, and the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW.

Yes. Australian Government agencies are required to meet WCAG 2.1 AA under the Web Accessibility National Transition Strategy. State and local government bodies are subject to equivalent obligations. We build to WCAG 2.2 AA as our baseline and document compliance throughout the project so your agency can demonstrate it clearly.

Yes. We apply AGDS principles where relevant and align with DTA guidelines for information architecture, accessibility, and user-centred design. For state and local government clients, we adapt to equivalent jurisdiction-specific standards.

Butterfly is ISO 27001 certified — the internationally recognised standard for information security management. We implement secure coding practices, role-based access controls, and regular security assessments. Hosting is on Australian-based AWS infrastructure. We can align our practices with requirements under the PSPF and Australian Government ISM.

Yes. We are experienced in navigating public sector procurement processes, including panel arrangements and multi-stakeholder approval cycles. We are happy to discuss your agency’s specific procurement requirements early in the conversation.

A dedicated support desk for updates, security monitoring, infrastructure changes, and compliance reviews. We treat government engagements as long-term partnerships — planning with you for evolving accessibility standards, security requirements, and capability changes across your communications team.

Yes. Local government is a core part of our public sector work. We understand the specific audience, content, and governance requirements of council websites, from planning and permits through to community services and events. We have supported website development for local councils and regional bodies across Australia.