During Alert Level 3, guidance from the Government and Ministry of Health stipulates that people must stay within their household bubble whenever they are not at work or school.
Mayor Andy Foster says the shift to Level 3 means there is a bit more flexibility with our general movements, but most services and facilities will remain the same.
“Our bubbles can now include close family and whānau, but transmission risk is still high so we need to heed the advice of the Ministry of Health and ensure we follow the guidelines around social distancing, wearing masks and mandatory scanning of QR codes.
“We are not out of the woods yet and need to remain vigilant to ensure the safety and well-being of our community, especially the more vulnerable members of the city.
“For Wellington City Council, Alert Level 3 means our staff and contractors will be following safety protocols to keep themselves and the community safe. This includes limiting contact with the public and providing more services online or over the phone wherever we can.
“Rubbish and recycling kerbside collections will be fully operational under Level 3, whereas at Alert Level 4 because of the high level of handling required to sort materials and health and safety risk, there has been no glass collection, and any co-mingled recycling (wheelie bins/recycling bags – paper, plastic, cans) put out was collected but went to landfill. Thank you to everyone who has washed and stored their recycling over Level 4,” says Mayor Foster.
“The Southern Landfill will be open to the public, but our recreation facilities, libraries, and other community venues will remain closed.
"We will continue to work with our partner agencies to ensure our most vulnerable members of the community and housing tenants are well supported. Our Welfare and City Housing teams have been working hard behind the scenes and will continue to do so as we move through alert levels.
“Under Alert Level 3 people are still expected to work from home where possible unless it’s essential, and to stay safe and adhere to recommended health and physical distancing protocols – and most importantly we need to be kind, compassionate and patient.
“We will continue to provide updates about our services and facilities through all our channels, and remind everyone to follow guidance from the Ministry of Health and the COVID-19 team.”
At Alert Level 3 work on significant construction projects like the Tākina Convention Centre, Town Hall, and the St James, plus Wellington Water projects on important infrastructure can start again with safety protocols in place.
Routine or planned maintenance work will recommence across the city on our roads, infrastructure and parks and reserves network, along with many smaller construction projects.
With many events, activities and venues closed for safety precautions at Alert Level 3, Council encourages everyone to stay active mentally and physically for their well-being.
Wellington City Libraries will continue to support bubbles with their online library programmes and eResources, as the branches remain closed under COVID-19 Alert Level 3. People can join the library online at www.wcl.govt.nz/joining.
At Alert Level 3 the following outdoor facilities are open for casual/informal use only and people should follow the Government’s guidance around recreation at Alert Level 3, specifically:
- Stay local
- Exercise alone or in your bubble
- Stay 2 metres away from others
- Wear a mask
- Scan in
- Avoid touching surfaces (like handrails)
- Wash hands thoroughly when you get home
- Stick to low-risk activities
Outdoor facilities open at Alert Level 3 and subject to the above guidelines:
- Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park
- Sports fields and outdoor courts for casual use only
- Newtown Park athletics track – (open from 7am to 4pm)
- Hataitai Park velodrome
- Makara and Karori Cemeteries – the gates will be closed with pedestrian only access at entrances, and the cemetery office at Karori will be closed to the public. The chapels at Karori will be open for services as per Level 3 guidance
- Dog parks – dogs can only be off-lead in off-leash exercise areas
- Shared rented microbility e-scooters are now allowed during Alert Level 3
Rubbish and recycling services:
- Kerbside rubbish and all recycling collections on normal services – only official receptacles (green/clear recycling bags, recycling wheelie bins and glass crates) will be collected.
- Southern Landfill, Recycle Centre and Transfer station will open to the public and commercial operators, but with traffic management in place and reduced capacity
- Miramar Para Kai food waste kerbside collections will resume
- Tip Shop closed for both drop-off and sales.
Libraries:
- All Wellington City Libraries branches will remain closed
- Wellington City Libraries will continue to support bubbles with their online library programmes and eResources
- After hours slots at our libraries will be closed, so please hold onto your books until your local branch reopens
- Any fines for overdue books will be waived during Alert Level 3 & 4, so the public is asked to please keep all items at home until the branches reopen
- We will be providing some of our regular programmes, like Storytimes, online so follow our Facebook page or website for updates
- Library customers can access a range of online resources at wcl.govt.nz/elibrary. This includes online storytimes, ebooks, newspapers, movies, and online courses
- If you have any questions please contact Wellington City Libraries by calling 801 4040 during office hours or email enquiries@wcl.govt.nz
Community services:
- Although our Community Centres are closed, the teams are still available via email and phone, and can help residents connect in with their local support networks
- Newlands and Linden Community Centres will continue to run their foodbank/food distribution services, by arrangement. You’ll find the details on their individual Facebook pages.
Other Council services that will be operating or doing site visits at Alert Level 3 (where physical distancing and hygiene protocols can be maintained)
- Parking – On-street parking will be operating as normal from 8am Friday 3 September. This includes Clearways and Coupon Parking. Parking enforcement of time restricted spaces, loading zones, residents parking and safety offences (such as broken yellow lines, etc) will apply from 7am Wednesday 1 September
- Graffiti removal
- Building Consents & Resource Consents
- Land Information Memorandums (LIMS) – limited service
- Noise Control – full service
- Public Health – limited service
- Council Committee meetings – will operate via Zoom meetings.
Services and facilities that will be closed or not operating at Alert Level 3:
- The Service Centre on Manners Street
- All Libraries and Community Centres
- Recreation Centres including the ASB Sports Centre in Kilbirnie
- Swimming Pools and Club Active Fitness Centres
- Skate parks and playgrounds
- Berhampore Golf Course
- The Begonia House, Tree House and Otari Visitor Centre at Wellington Botanic Gardens
- Brooklyn wind turbine gate
- Te Kopahau/Red Rocks Gate
- Public BBQ’s
- Water fountains
- The Carter Observatory
- Toi Pōneke Arts Centre
- Museum Wellington
- The Cable Car and associated museum
- The Wellington Zoo
- The Harbourside Market
- Zealandia
- Citizenship Ceremonies
- Marinas are open, but only for issues, essential maintenance or for those who live aboard
- Most public toilets are closed, but there is a list of some exceptions which remain open for the use of essential workers – these can be found at wellington.govt.nz/covid-19
- Citizen Advice Bureaus closed for face to face but available for online services
- Local Hosts will not be operating
- Environmental Group Volunteer activities
All services and facilities will be updated with Alert Level 3 status on Tuesday 31 August at 11.59pm on the Wellington City Council website section dedicated to COVID-19 information, wellington.govt.nz/covid-19.
At Alert Level 3, the risk of COVID-19 being present in the community is higher.
You legally must wear a face covering:
- on public transport and at departure points, for example at airports, train stations and bus stops
- on flights
- in taxi or ride-share vehicles — drivers and passengers
- when visiting healthcare facilities
- if you are a delivery driver to residential addresses
- inside any Alert Level 3 businesses and services that are open and involve customer contact, for example supermarkets, pharmacies, and takeaways
- at court and tribunals, Government agencies and social service providers with customer service counters.
You are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering when you are outside your home and in a place where it is hard to keep your distance from other people.