Sheryl Mai: Covid vaccine pass removal welcome, changes hopefully boost local economy

Whangārei mayor Sheryl Mai welcomes the Government's announced changes to the Covid Protection Framework. Photo / Michael Cunningham

OPINION:

I welcomed the Government's changes last week to the Covid Protection Framework that removed vaccine pass requirements. Hopefully, these changes will give a boost to the local economy at a time when many businesses are struggling. And hopefully, the Government's risk assessment is accurate.

I have for some time been fielding calls and emails from residents wanting the council to remove the requirement for vaccine passes into our central library. This is because the central library contains a cafe that cannot be separated because it shares airflow across the premises.

Recently some people cited Taupō District Council as a body with a more relaxed attitude towards passes after lifting its requirements. It is interesting to note that Taupō had been requiring vaccine passes for entry into all its council offices, public pools, museums, and public toilets – again, a decision based on its risk assessment.

Following Government's guidelines, we will remove the need for vaccine passes at the central library on April 5. Our branch libraries have not required vaccine passes, as none of them has a cafe.

We have accepted the Government's Covid risk assessment and followed its guidelines to the letter. We did not require vaccine passes to council offices or public toilets.

Perhaps we should have been singing from the rooftops how permissive we had been compared with Taupō? And aren't you glad you don't need a vaccine pass to go to the loo here?

The country has faced its fair share of short and long-term emergencies, and Whangārei district has not been immune to experiencing some of those in recent weeks.

Northland's mayors and Regional Council chair, as well as Civil Defence and council representatives, met recently with the Minister for Emergency Management, the Honourable Kiritapu Allan, to discuss roles and responsibilities of local authorities in times of emergency management.

We discussed the recent tsunami, floods, droughts, wildfires and pandemics. It seems the only thing missing off that list was pestilence.

Northland Rescue Helicopter pilot Lance Donnelly was involved in the rescue of five men during last week's North Cape tragedy. Photo / Michael Cunningham

That discussion highlighted for me the debt we owe to those who put their lives on the line when something seriously untoward happens. This was no better illustrated when the Northland Emergency Services helicopter, in hazardous conditions, rescued the five survivors after their charter boat sank off the Far North coast last week.

The sound of fire, ambulance or police sirens is usually a signal that someone is in distress. It's a constant reminder to me of the people whose job it is to protect us. We know many of those people – our neighbours, friends, and family members – and we all know they will do whatever they can to protect us when either our risk assessment is faulty or something untoward happens.

So, spare a thought for those emergency crews sitting in that fire tender, ambulance or police car, and the crews who efficiently restore power when there are outages – they are doing vital work.

I am looking forward to gathering together in larger numbers both indoors and out, in the certain knowledge that emergency services and lifeline utilities are there to help if things turn to custard.