We shared a poignant experience at dawn on Saturday with many others in our community, standing at our gate for this year's Anzac remembrance. We listened to the Last Post in the dark and reflected on those who served during the many conflicts New Zealand has been involved in. This unusual Anzac remembrance is another example of our adaptation to the conditions we face under the Covid-19 level 4 lockdown.
Tonight, we move into alert level 3. I have no doubt our district will transition into level 3 with the same spirit of manaakitanga that we've shown to date - with respect, care, kindness and support for everyone in our community.
• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website
We need to be aware of local businesses during this transition. As a community, it is essential that we show support for Northland businesses as much as we can, where possible through online ordering and local service provision. Now is the time to do our bit to help these hard-hit businesses and their employees, our neighbours. We have the power to choose how we want our local economy to look in the future and I urge you to "click local".
From a council perspective, we're doing what we can to ensure the local economy comes out of Covid-19 with a healthy foundation for the re-start. Our Whangārei Economic Recovery Response, released April 14, explains how council is approaching the Covid-19 economic recovery. Within the 10-point response, we have emphasised our commitment to partnering with Northland Inc and NorthChamber to facilitate on-the-ground practical support for small and medium businesses. What does this mean?