Coronavirus in NZ: Auckland Mayor Phil Goff - rates will not rise to pay for impact

Auckland Council's revenue could fall by more than $100 million due to Coronavirus but there will be no additional rates rises, Mayor Phil Goff says.

The mayor said it would not be fair to raise rates further than this year's proposed rates rise of 3.5 per cent as Aucklanders face the financial strain of heading into a recession.

Councillors and council bosses held a two-and-a-half hour meeting on Wednesday to consider the impact of Covid-19 on 6000 council staff and the city's 1.6 million people.

Goff told the Herald the council was taking a raft of measures to ensure the safety and well-being of staff, including using hospital-grade chemicals to clean council buildings.

"Council and CCOs in the meantime have taken steps to ensure staff are well informed and are following advice on health protocols including staying away from work when ill, using leave provisions to encourage people to do the right thing and self-isolating when required."

About 50 council staff, most of whom had recently returned from overseas, were in self-isolation, he said.

"What is happening at present is unprecedented in our lifetime, and the fast-moving situation means we need to be ready to constantly lift the level of our response," Goff said.

He said the Ministry of Health is the lead agency and council is acting on and not reinterpreting their advice.

"We have responded rapidly to cancel major events and are ready to take further action should that be necessary."

Cancelled events include:

Music in Parks

Fri 20 Mar – Music and Food – Te Atatū Peninsula

Sat 21 Mar – A Little Bit of Everything - Hobsonville Point Park

Sun 22 Mar – Brass at the Falls – Falls Park, Henderson

Sun 29 Mar – Love Songs from the Underground – Auckland Domain

Sun 29 Mar - Brass at the Falls – Falls Park, Henderson

Sat 11 Apr - Party in the Park – Maybury Reserve, Glen Innes

Movies in Parks

Fri 20 March – The Secret Life of Pets 2 – Milford Reserve, Milford

Sat 21 March – Toy Story 4 – Fergusson Domain, Oranga

Fri 27 March – Spider-Man: Far from Home – Rosedale Park, Albany

Sat 28 Mar – Abominable – Murphy Park, Ōtāhuhu

Fri 03 Apr – Poi E – Coyle Park, Pt Chevalier

Sat 04 Apr – MIB: International – Te Puru Park, Beachlands

Thu 09 Apr – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – Woodall Park, Narrow Neck

Sat 11 Apr – Daffodils – Waiake Reserve, Waiake

Fri 17 Apr – Dumbo – Luckens Reserve, West Harbour

Sat 18 Apr – Season Finale – Brains Park, Kelston