Covid-19 pandemic

Updated 13 May 2020

• Contact tracing will be required (you’ll need to provide your name and contact details)
• Screens will be fitted at customer service points.
• No cash will be accepted. Eftpos or paywave will be available with sanitisation of handset after each transaction
• Lap pools will be open with reduced numbers and wider lanes
• The leisure pool will be open with restricted numbers
• The toddler pool, steam room and sauna will be closed
• Spa pools will be open with restricted numbers
• Aquarobic classes will not be running
  
• Learn to Swim will be operating with restricted attendees and a modified programme.

Please see COVID-19 updates on the Arena Website

Updated 13 May 2020

• Usual animal control services will resume, but any payments will need to be made at the main Council building, not the pound
• The pound will be open 11am-2pm on weekdays but closed weekends and public holidays
• Contact tracing will be in place for all visitors (you’ll need to all provide your name and contact details)
  
• Physical distancing will be observed
  
• Screens will be fitted at customer service points.

Updated 13 May 2020

• Aotea Lagoon is open but please observe social distancing of 1 metre from people not in your bubble.
• Splash pad at Aotea Lagoon is open.

Updated 13 May 2020

• The fitness centre will open with restricted numbers
  
• Group fitness will operate with a reduced timetable and class sizes
  
• Arena Café will reopen, with hours to be confirmed.

Updated 13 May 2020

Building Consent - processing officers and business support team members will continue to work from home on building consent and code compliance applications. Any new applications should be submitted using our online portal.

Building inspections will resume from Tuesday 28 April 2020 onwards for construction sites that have an active Covid-19 control plan in place.  Please see links to NZ Covid-19 Construction Protocols and additional guidance:

·      COVID-19 Construction Sector Health and Safety Framework - CHASENZ

·      building.govt.nz/covid-19/alert-level-3

To make a booking, phone our inspection line on (04) 237 3844.

Code compliance certificate applications - As above, we will continue to process code compliance certificate applications. We also request that any new code compliance certificate applications are submitted using the online portal.

Resource consent planning - site visits start, continue to work remotely. Virtual hearings for resource consents.

Emergency rules apply and we need you to meet strict requirements so we all stay safe.

What you need to do

You must be in a self-contained campervan. This means:

• Your campervan must have a fully self-contained shower that you can stand in, a flush toilet and a kitchen
• Your campervan must display an official sticker confirming it meets self-containment standards (NZS 5465:2001)

Do not use shared facilities and always follow Covid-19 hygiene rules.

If you can’t meet the above restrictions please call our regional Covid-19 Helpline on 0800 141 967 and our staff will assess how best to support you.

All Citizenship ceremonies have been cancelled until further notice.

Please note that all enquiries should be sent via email as below:

• For enquiries about applying for citizenship, email citizenship@dia.govt.nz 
• For questions about citizenship by descent or getting proof of citizenship status, email staykiwi@dia.govt.nz

• The counter will operate normal hours and offer a full service
• All customers will be directed to a queue where they will provide their name and contact details on an iPad for contact tracing
• No cash will be accepted. Eftpos or paywave will be available with sanitisation of handset after each transaction
• Customers with appointments will be directed to a temporary meeting space
• All visitors, including contractors, must sign in
• Screens will be fitted at customer service points.

To learn more about our current consultations and engagements, please visit our public consultation pages and keep sharing your views with us. Consultation Page

• Council and Committee meetings will return to Council chambers
• A maximum of 10 members of the public (including media) will be able to attend
• Contact tracing will be required (you’ll need to provide your name and contact details).

Updated 13 May 2020

• Closed until further notice
• When it does reopen, contact tracing will take place (you’ll need to provide your name and contact details)
• No cash will be accepted. Eftpos or paywave will be available with sanitisation of handset after each transaction.

The Council has moved to internet banking for all payments.

Please see our pay online webpage for online payment details.

https://poriruacity.govt.nz/contact/pay-online/

Updated 13 May 2020

Closed to the public while numbers are restricted to 10 people.

To all our business whanau in Porirua , we know you are going through uncertain and tough times during the pandemic. 

We have partnered with WellingtonNZ to support you with advice and useful information. You can contact the business response team at www.wellingtonnz.com/business/contact-us and we’ll get back to you within 1-3 working days.

You can also call 04 555 0084 to leave a voicemail for our team. Click here if you want information on how to apply for a Covid-19 Wage Subsidy.

We know this is a difficult time. Please look after yourselves and each other. 

Dash Swim School lessons are cancelled.

The remaining fees paid for term 1 will be credited to each customer's account for future bookings with Dash. There is nothing more you need to do to action this.

To all of our valued customers, keep up to date via our Facebook page and website.

Please see COVID-19 updates on the Arena Website

Updated 13 May 2020

• Depot office closed to the public.
  
• Pre-arranged visitors will need to provide contact tracing details. 

Updated 13 May 2020

• Dogs can be off-leash in the areas this is usually allowed, provided they’re under control and staying 1 metre from others.
• Dog parks will reopen, but physical distancing should be kept in mind.

Re-opening or making changes to a food business in Alert Level 2. There are requirements food businesses must follow to ensure their food is safe for consumers. Click here for the New Zealand Food Safety website for all the latest information

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/protection-and-response/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-food-safety/covid-19-and-food-safety-in-alert-level-3/re-opening-or-making-changes-to-a-food-business-in-alert-level-3/

👉Do you want to offer help? 

Download this important information flowchart for members of the public wishing to support the Covid-19 response.

Volunteering

How can I help look after others?

Unless you are an essential worker, the best way you can help others is by staying home and helping people from there.

Kindness is an incredibly powerful way to show you are united against Covid-19. You can make a huge difference by talking to people over the phone or online - checking in on older relatives or vulnerable people to make sure they have everything they need, or talking to friends, whānau and neighbours over the phone to see how they are and if they need support.

These kinds of connections and offers of help will go a long way to getting others through Covid-19.

If you are part of an existing or new volunteer group or organisation

If your group would like to support volunteer initiatives related to the Covid-19 response or related community needs, please contact your local civil defence organisation or Council in the first instance to ensure that support is co-ordinated.

It is important to stay at home and only communicate with your group over the phone or via the internet, do not meet in person. Please don’t put any newsletters or notes through letterboxes on a large scale, as any surface can spread the virus.

Delivering essential supplies

Covid-19 can live on surfaces, so any objects which pass between people are potential ways for the virus to spread.

Thank you to everyone who has been involved in helping so far, but to contain the spread of Covid-19 it is important that only essential services carry out large scale delivery services and other community work.

Unless you are an essential worker, you should only deliver essential supplies to nearby friends, family and whanau, and close neighbours. Do this only if it is absolutely necessary.

You should only deliver to a few people and you must remain loyal to these people for the entire lockdown. The more people you deliver to, the higher the risk.

Updated 13 May 2020

• All branches will reopen, with limited hours at first. Please check the website for opening hours
• Some services may not be available because of the need for physical distancing
• Contact tracing will take place (you’ll need to provide your name and contact details)
• Returned items will be wiped down with disinfectant then quarantined for three days before processing
• Public computers will not be available in the first week of Level 2. Once available, staff won’t be able to help customers use them due to physical distancing
• No cash will be accepted. Eftpos or paywave will be available with sanitisation of handset after each transaction
• Screens will be fitted at customer service points.

If your library books are due back during the lockdown don’t fret.

No fines will accrue during the lockdown period so you don’t need to leave home to return books. Stay safe and stay home.

Our librarians will be posting stories and other happy things to keep you entertained, or give you a break while working from home, so keep an eye on the Facebook pages. Click here (https://www.facebook.com/groups/PoriruaLibraryChildrensChat/?source_id=276031052466679

You can also still access our online eBooks and resources

Mayor’s clinics have been cancelled for the time being because the priority is everyone’s health and wellbeing.

As a Council we are following all Government guidelines and we urge you to do this same.

If you wish to speak or write to the Mayor:
mayor@poriruacity.govt.nz  or call 04-237 1456 

Updated 13 May 2020

Mountain bike tracks are open. Mountain biking is okay if you are experienced and know the trail. Stick to easy trails. Make sure you maintain a two metre distance from other people.

Mountain bike tracks in Porirua

Updated 13 May 2020

• Normal noise control services will resume, with officers maintaining 1-metre spacing when around other people.
• Any large gatherings found (such as parties with more than 10 people) when responding to noise complaints will be referred to police.

Updated 13 May 2020

The Streetworks team will continue their usual services.

Updated 13 May 2020

• Limits of 100 people in the facility
• Entrances to the Spine will be managed by security guards to make sure contact tracing is completed (you’ll need to provide your name and contact details)
• Physical distance markers and signage will be in place
• Staff will work behind a screen at the counter
• Toi Store will be open, with a one-in, one-out policy and no trying on of goods
  
• Hire and meeting spaces will not be available for bookings
  
• No cash will be accepted. Eftpos or paywave will be available with sanitisation of handset after each transaction
  
• Kaizen Café will reopen, with hours to be confirmed.

Updated 13 May 2020

• Aotea Lagoon is open but please observe social distancing of 1 metre from people not in your bubble.
• Drinking fountains are turned off
• Gates to city beaches are locked, while the regional council has closed all regional parks to vehicles, along with toilets. It is asking that anyone wanting to walk or bike in the regional parks do so close to your home.
• Mountain bike tracks are open. Mountain biking is okay if you are experienced and know the trail. Stick to easy trails. Make sure you maintain a two metre distance from other people.
• Parks, reserves and walking tracks are open. Please follow Government guidelines and stay 2 metres away from anyone not in your household.  
• Picnic areas are open but please keep numbers to 10 or under. Our public BBQs are closed for now, as a safety precaution.
• Skate parks are open
• Splash pad at Aotea Lagoon is open.
• Tennis, netball and any other fenced courts are open, but please observe social distancing of 2 metres from people not in your bubble.

Updated 13 May 2020

Parking enforcement will operate as usual, with officers maintaining 1-metre spacing.

Playgrounds are open. Please follow Government guidelines and stay 2 metres away from anyone not in your household. 

Updated 13 May 2020

All public toilets are open and being cleaned as usual.

The Covid19 pandemic is changing the world as we know it. The actual impacts are unknowable.  What we do know is that our essential city services need to continue and that’s what rates pay for. The Government has provided a significant injection to salaries and wages to enable essential household bills to be paid.

Water and waste water services, roading, our parks, our cemetery and crematorium, our planning services and most importantly our emergency services (we used to call it civil defence) are all essential.  

Council staff in non-essential services who do not fit into the vulnerable categories described by the Prime Minister will be redeployed to help in those essential services or into our emergency works especially welfare for people in our community. So our staff will continue to keep the city running no matter what.

Rates Payment Options 

If individual ratepayers are experiencing hardship we will consider payment options on a case by case basis.  The Council still needs money to pay for critical services. Defaulting will make our recovery slower, painful and more expensive. As long as you agree a payment plan with us then no late penalties will apply.  

If you are in genuine hardship then please contact us through rates@poriruacity.govt.nz and someone will be in touch to help you with a payment plan.

Updated 13 May 2020

• Rubbish and recycling collections will continue as usual.
• Recycling will be back to normal with mixed recycling, which was previously going to landfill as the sorting plant was closed, now able to be sorted and recycled.

Please continue to use Council rubbish bags, which you can still purchase at supermarkets and dairies.  Your rubbish will only be collected if it is in an official Council bag.

For rubbish and recycling collection in your area, click here

Updated 13 May 2020

For more information check out gw.govt.nz/parks

'Shovel ready’ Infrastructure Projects - The Government asked the public and private infrastructure sector impacted by Covid-19, to submit ‘shovel ready’ infrastructure projects for its consideration.

Updated 13 May 2020

All skate parks in Porirua are open.

Updated 13 May 2020

Tennis, netball and any other fenced courts are open, but please observe social distancing of 2 metres from people not in your bubble.

Updated 13 May 2020

• Spicer Landfill will be open to the public at Level 2, with slightly restricted hours (closing at 4pm). There will be more capacity than at Level 3, with one more bay in operation
• Contact tracing procedures will remain in place and this can be done in advance using this link to speed things up https://tinyurl.com/y7k698du
• No cash – Eftpos and credit cards only.
• The bulk recycling facility is open from 8.30am to 5pm. There will be no contact tracing in place so it’s important to stay 2 metres from other people if using this facility
• Trash Palace will reopen, following government guidelines for retail premises, including contact tracing.

Splash pad at Aotea Lagoon is open

Updated 13 May 2020

• Contact tracing will be required (you’ll need to provide your name and contact details)
• Screens will be fitted at customer service points.
• No cash will be accepted. Eftpos or paywave will be available with sanitisation of handset after each transaction
• Lap pools will be open with reduced numbers and wider lanes
• The leisure pool will be open with restricted numbers
• The toddler pool, steam room and sauna will be closed
• Spa pools will be open with restricted numbers
• Aquarobic classes will not be running
  
• Learn to Swim will be operating with restricted attendees and a modified programme.

Please see COVID-19 updates on the Arena Website

Updated 13 May 2020

• No events will be held during Level 2
• Meeting rooms will not be available for general hire
• The fitness centre will open with restricted numbers
  
• Group fitness will operate with a reduced timetable and class sizes
  
• Arena Café will reopen, with hours to be confirmed
• The pool and spas will be open, but with restrictions.

Welfare Support number is 0800 141 967

If you don't have the essentials* you need to get through the lockdown, in the first instance please try calling a:

• neighbour
• family member who lives nearby
• friend who lives nearby
• you could also check the availability for shopping online.

If these options are not available to you, and you need urgent and immediate help, then please call our Council welfare support helpline on 0800 141 967, 7 days a week, 9am to 5pm (outside those hours you can request a call-back). Need a callback? please click here to complete a callback form.

*Essential goods include water, food and grocery items, clothing, bedding and blankets, cooking and eating utensils, fuel for cooking and heating, medication and cleaning and sanitary products.

Find out more here

Updated 13 May 2020

Parks, reserves and walking tracks are open. Please follow Government guidelines and stay 2 metres away from anyone not in your household. 

Updated 13 May 2020

• Open, with physical distancing requirements and limited numbers in the chapel
• Contact tracing for all chapel visitors (you’ll need to provide your name and contact details)
• The chapel will be cleaned after each service
• The cemetery will be open to the public
• Any cemetery payments will need to be made at the main Council offices, not the depot