People in the Coromandel can be assured that our Council is continuing essential services such as providing safe drinking water and collecting rubbish. Playgrounds and customer-facing sites such as libraries and customer service centres have closed, following yesterday’s move to COVID-19 Alert Level 3 and then 4.

Alert Level 3 requires public venues to be closed and for businesses and organisations to introduce alternative ways of working to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

At midnight on Wednesday 25 March, Alert Level 4 will be activated which means people are instructed to stay home unless they are delivering essential services. Non-essential businesses and educational facilities will also be requested to close.

The government’s COVID-19 website covid19.govt.nz lists essential services. They are updating the website with more detail about specific occupations and setting up an 0800 number, so keep checking back if you run a business and are unsure if it’s an essential service or not.

The government’s COVID-19 website also has details of the government’s financial support package, which includes a wage subsidy and business cash flow and tax measures.

In addition, our Council is working with Te Waka, the Waikato’s regional economic development agency, on business assistance they can offer. If you need support or advice, get in touch with one of Te Waka’s business advisors on 07 857 0538. They can offer an ear, advice and connect you with the right help. More information is available on their website tewaka.nz

At today‘s meeting our Council resolved to establish a COVID-19 Response Committee, with a quorum of two members in an effort to enable effective decision making during this period of extreme change. In addition Council’s other committees and Community Board meetings will not be held until further notice.

“We are all now in the COVID-19 Alert Level 3 and moving to Levl 4. Our lives have changed,” says our Mayor Sandra Goudie. “We will continue to have access to the essential services our Council provides. Of course our public facilities are closed, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. But you can rely on our core services continuing, which means there will still be safe drinking water coming out of your taps and having your rubbish collected while the restrictions are in place,” Mayor Sandra says.

”We are still around fixing emergency issues such as water leaks, dangerous potholes on Council roads or servicing public toilets, for example,” our Mayor says.

“We might be physically isolated from each other, but we are all in this together as a Thames-Coromandel community, and we will get through this season. Please look after each other and think about our elderly and those who are medically compromised. Reach out online or through the phone to support groups if you need help. Be kind,” Mayor Sandra says.

Note that water restrictions in Tairua-Pauanui have been raised to Alternate Days. This means hoses, sprinklers and outdoor irrigation systems can only be used on alternate days. If your address is an even number, you can use sprinklers etc on even-numbered days of the month. See our website at tcdc.govt.nz/water for updates on water restrictions.

The finishing touches to the Coromandel Town main street road upgrade has been put on hold while we are at Alert Level 4.

While our service centres are closed, many of our services are still available online at tcdc.govt.nz/onlineservices, and you can contact our customer services team on 07 868 0200 or customer.services@tcdc.govt.nz.

Keep up to date with any changes in Council’s services that may affect you at tcdc.govt.nz, on our Facebook page facebook.com/ThamesCoromandelDistrictCouncil or on our email newsletters. Subscribe at tcdc.govt.nz/subscribe if you haven’t already.

Check our website COVID-19 page tcdc.govt.nz/covid-19 for information on non-Council activities, services and events that we know have been cancelled, such as the Whitianga Ferry, which stops operations effective 7:30pm Wednesday.

• We offer online payment option for rates, dogs, parking and other infringement notices - tcdc.govt.nz/pay
• Our District Library members can also access over 18,000 e-books and e-audiobooks, which can be borrowed online 24/7 - tcdc.govt.nz/libraries
• The Waikato District Health Board is in the process of establishing Community Based Assessment Centres (CBAC) throughout the Waikato - waikatodhb.health.nz
• See the Ministry of Health website health.govt.nz for health advice and information or contact the Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or your local GP’s office..
• See covid19.govt.nz for everything you need to know.

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