Alert Level 3 – Council Services Update

23 April 2020

Rates

Fourth instalment rates are due to Council by 31 May 2021. Rates pay for Council’s essential services such as ensuring households have safe drinking water, that the waste water system keeps operating, rubbish is collected, burials and cemeteries can take place, essential roading and safety repairs are made, emergency services (Civil Defence) are on hand, and flood protection is being monitored. If you have any questions or concerns about paying rates, please see our website for options or contact the Council’s rates officer on 03 756 9010 or email ratesofficer@westlanddc.govt.nz

Rates Rebates

There has been a temporary legislative amendment to allow for a statutory declaration for rates rebates to be made via audio-visual link or over the telephone. This amendment came into force on Friday 17 April and continues until 25 June 2020, unless extended or revoked earlier.

Anyone applying for a rates rebate can now contact an authorised witness and sign the document during an audio-visual call or phone call to them and then have the authorised witness sign the document, or a photographed or scanned copy of the document. This form can then be returned to Council’s rates officer at ratesofficer@westlanddc.govt.nz or by post.

Inspection of rating information database

Council’s Rating Information Database (RID) is available for public viewing from 1 May 2020. There is no fee to view the database.

Go to http://e-search.westlanddc.govt.nz/property/ at any time

District Assets

Under Alert Level 3 playgrounds remain closed. All essential services will continue to operate as they did under Alert Level 4, so rubbish and recycling continues to be collected, public toilets are open and essential maintenance will be undertaken.

With additional health and safety measures construction projects and essential travel, site visits and inspections will be conducted.

Drinking Water advice

The Ministry of Health has issued advice for ensuring drinking water is clean in businesses following the lockdown period.

With many community facilities/businesses being closed during the COVID-19 4-week self-isolation period this provides the opportunity for drinking-water quality issues to occur upon return to normal service activities. These issues are most likely to arise when water is used for the first time given the water may have been sitting idle in your pipes and stagnated or deteriorated.

See our website for the document.

Planning

The planning department will be processing LIMs from Tuesday 28 May 2020. Please contact Council on 03 756 9010 or council@westlanddc.govt.nz for further information.

Library

The Library remains closed at Alert Level 3. Loans have been extended and fines waived. You cannot return books until the library opens.

Digital library services remain available on customers’ devices. See the library website for more details.

Photo by Kazuky Akayashi on Unsplash

Golden Rules for Communities – Alert Level 3

23 April 2020

Small gatherings of up to 10 people will be allowed for funerals and tangihanga and wedding ceremonies. Otherwise, please follow the golden rules outlined below:

1. Stay home. If you are not at work, school, exercising or getting essentials then you must be at home, the same as at Alert Level 4.
2. Work and learn from home if you can. We still want the vast majority of people working from home, and children and young people learning from home. At-risk students and staff should also stay at home, and they will be supported to do so. Early learning centres and schools will physically be open for up to Year 10 for families that need them.
3. Make your business COVID-19 safe. COVID-19 has spread in workplaces, so the quid pro quo of being able to open is doing it in a way that doesn’t spread the virus.
4. Stay regional. You can exercise at parks or beaches within your region, but the closer to home the better. Activities must be safe – keep 2 metres away from anybody not in your bubble. Make minimal trips.
5. Keep your bubble as small as possible. If you need to, you can expand your bubble a small amount to bring in close family, isolated people or caregivers.
6. Wash your hands often with soap. Then dry them. Cough and sneeze into your elbow.
7. If you are sick, stay at home and quickly seek advice from your GP or Healthline about getting a test. There is no stigma to COVID-19. We will only be successful if everyone is willing to play their part in finding it wherever it is.

See Covid19 for further information.

Haast/Bruce Bay – COVID-19 Sentinel Testing

23 April 2020

West Coast DHB will be undertaking COVID-19 Sentinel testing in Haast and Bruce Bay this Friday 24 April. Anyone in those communities who wishes to be tested can turn up to the mobile CBAC – no referral necessary. Please do not travel from outside of these areas to be tested. Testing further North will follow.

Free flu vaccinations will also be available for anyone who has identified priority health needs (i.e. 65 years of age and over, with an identified chronic health condition, pregnant etc)

The service will be available as follows:

Who can be tested

Anyone – with or without symptoms

What to expect

• Stay in your car and follow directions
• Staff will approach your car to gather details, provide information and take the swab

IMPORTANT NOTE

• Any person who has COVID-19 symptoms should contact Healthline (0800 358 5453), or you could phone your own doctor or local clinic; or contact Poutini Waiora (Māori Health and Social Service) – 0800 333 170 – you do not need to wait until Friday
• Testing will be available at the times stated subject to available tests – testing will cease when the service runs out of tests.

Photo by Vincent Ghilione on Unsplash