On 3 September 2025 at LG Innovate in Melbourne, Symphony3’s Sarah Jayne Webb demonstrated the Model Context Protocol (MCP) in action. In front of 150 council CEOs, CIOs, and senior leaders, she showed how MCP connected directly into Civica CRM to deliver instant insights.
This wasn’t just another tech showcase. It was proof that Australian councils can serve communities better, faster, and more efficiently - if they can unlock the data already in their systems. MCP is the key that makes that possible.
Why MCP Matters for Councils
Here’s how MCP delivers value for local government:
- Instant Information Access: Staff ask natural language questions and get answers from any connected system in seconds.
- Faster Ratepayer Services: Citizens get quicker responses, reducing frustration and delays.
- Better Decision-Making: Councillors can query complex datasets in real time.
- Reduced Admin Burden: Staff spend less time on manual data entry and more time engaging communities.
- Breaking Down Silos: Authorised users can securely access data across the organisation.
- Automated Compliance: State government returns generated in seconds, not days.
What MCP Is in Plain English
Think of MCP as a universal translator for council systems. Instead of logging into multiple platforms (CRM, rates, planning, assets), staff simply ask an AI assistant a question, and it pulls the information together in real time.
For example:
“Provide a summary of all overdue development applications, related payments, and compliance history for these properties.”
The AI queries all relevant systems and provides one clear, referenced answer.
MCP is revolutionary because it’s an open standard. Councils aren’t locked into any single AI vendor or platform, giving them long-term flexibility and independence.
How Symphony3 Delivers MCP Through SmartGlue
Symphony3 has built MCP capabilities directly into SmartGlue, our integration platform for local government. SmartGlue connects with existing council systems such as Civica Authority, Infor Pathway, AssetVision, TechnologyOne, and more.
Rather than replacing existing investments, SmartGlue enhances them - allowing AI to work across all systems simultaneously.
And because SmartGlue uses secure APIs and existing data connections, councils can start seeing value in weeks, not years.
Real-World Use Cases
Here are ten scenarios where MCP delivers immediate impact:
- Complete Property Intelligence – Instantly view rates, permits, compliance, and service history.
- Development Application Insights – Compare past approvals and outcomes in seconds.
- Asset Management Coordination – Align roadworks with water main replacement.
- Ratepayer Service Excellence – Customer service teams access full interaction history instantly.
- Budget Planning Scenarios – Model financial impacts of different capital works decisions.
- State Government Reporting – Generate compliance and environmental reports automatically.
- Emergency Response – Identify critical infrastructure and vulnerable residents in a flood zone.
- Community Engagement Analytics – Analyse complaint topics by ward and related services.
- Performance Dashboards – Create KPI reports instantly, without manual collation.
- Strategic Planning Support – Forecast infrastructure capacity constraints over the next five years.
How can we help
Sarah Jayne Webb’s demonstration proved that the future of council operations is here today. MCP enables councils to unlock their data, streamline operations, and deliver faster, smarter services to their communities.
At Symphony3, our SmartGlue platform with built-in MCP is already helping councils across Australia transform the way they work.
Book a demo with us to learn more about how MCP can unlock value in your council.