Covid 19: Northland local authorities ready if Covid alert levels lifted

Northland's local authorities say they are well prepared if Covid alert levels are raised. Photo / Tania Whyte

Northland's local authorities say they are well prepared for any increase in Covid-19 alert levels after the region's positive Covid-19 case.

More than 1000 people work at the four councils - Far North, Kaipara and Whangarei District and Northland Regional councils. There are also 42 councillors and 23 community board members.

"We're exceedingly well prepared. We're even more ready than last time in terms of running the operation if needed, should Covid-19 alert level be raised," Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai said.

Councils, like the rest of Northland, are currently operating under level 1 Covid-19 controls. They moved to online council meetings and staff working remotely during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown and Mai said much of this had continued.

Far North Mayor John Carter said his council was working in its post-2020 Covid-19 business as usual mode. This included a number of staff mixing working from the office and/or remotely from home.

Kaipara Mayor Dr Jason Smith said his council had been able to function remotely during the 2020 lockdown, due to it putting in a new computer system just ahead of Covid-19.

"Without that, KDC would have stopped."

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New Zealand's first positive community case since November is a woman from lower Northland who is suspected to have contracted Covid-19 while in Auckland's Pullman Hotel managed isolation facility.

The woman visited Whangārei, Ruakākā, Kaiwaka, Matakohe and Mangawhai before testing positive.

Smith said a day-long Kaipara District Council (KDC) briefing meeting in Mangawhai on January 20 had not been high risk. But councillors and staff present had been told to stay home if they became unwell and get tested.

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Smith said KDC had stopped staff moving between its Mangawhai and Dargaville offices, but the offices were still open. About 60 KDC staff work out of the council's Dargaville office, 40 from Mangawhai.

Northland councils were otherwise working in their business as usual mode under New Zealand's level 1 Covid-19 controls.

"We're operating business as usual at the moment," Malcolm Nicolson, Northland Regional Council (NRC) chief executive said.

''But we are keeping a close eye on developments.''

Nicolson said several NRC staff had been in places in common with the woman and were isolating and getting tested, in line with Ministry of Health protocols.

There are 27 scheduled council meetings across the region next month, almost all in formal council venues.

Mai and Whangārei District Councillors Ken Couper and Shelley Deeming attended a January 19 Ruakākā community meeting about proposals for satellite dishes locally.

The new positive case visited a number of Ruakākā businesses, but Mai said it was unlikely the satellite meeting would have been high risk.

Cooper said Bream Bay community members were concerned about the latest developments, which would potentially have an impact in Bream Bay.

"For Ruakākā and Bream Bay, it's potentially quite damaging," Couper said.

Mai urged people not to panic and to follow Covid-19 management protocols.