Timaru District Council is urging people to get vaccinated for themselves and their community, with the Vaccine Pass soon becoming key to most of its facilities.

When the Government brings the district into the Orange traffic light level at 11.59pm on Thursday 2 December, the Council will be making some important changes to enable the majority of the community to enjoy the fewest limitations for access to public facilities.

Access to the all indoor Council facilities for people aged 12 years or over will require a vaccination pass from Friday, and all staff working at Council facilities will be required to have a valid Vaccine Pass.

Staff will be working on a limited number of alternative services for those who do not hold a valid Vaccine Pass.

Council services requiring a Vaccine Pass for those aged 12 years and over:

- Caroline Bay Trust Aoraki Centre (CBAY) and District Pools (Temuka, Geraldine, Pleasant Point)

o Vaccine Passes will be required by those 12 years or over to use any of the facilities at these centres.

o These will be checked on entry.

o One metre social distancing and masks are required in all public areas.

- Southern Trust Events Centre (STEC)

o Vaccine Passes will be required by those 12 years or over to use any of the facilities at this centre

o These will be checked on entry.

o One metre social distancing and masks are required.

o Other facilities at Aorangi Park will have their own requirements, contact your sports club for more information.

- Council Customer Services (Main Building and Service Centres)

o Vaccine Passes will be required for those aged 12 years and over.

o Capacity limits based on one metre distancing and masks will be required in public areas.

o Non-Vaccine Pass holders can access customer services via phone and online.

- Libraries, Museum and Art Gallery

o Vaccine Passes will be required for those aged 12 years and over.

o Capacity limits based on one metre distancing and masks will be required.

- Council, Committee and Community Board Meetings:

o Vaccine Passes will be required.

o These will be subject to capacity limits based on one metre distancing and masks will be required.

o Online options for public participation will be available.

Facilities that will not require a Vaccine Pass:

- Building Inspections, Environmental Health, Licensing, Parking and Animal Control:

o Places visited by staff will not have to be Vaccine Pass sites.

o All council staff will be required to have a valid Vaccine Pass.

o Staff will maintain one metre social distancing and wear masks as required.

- Redruth and District Transfer Stations:

o Vaccine Passes are not required.

o Capacity limits based on one metre distancing and masks will be required.

- Public Toilets:

o Vaccine Passes are not required.

- Timaru Airport Terminal:

o Vaccine Passes are not required to enter the terminal.

o Air New Zealand require a Vaccine Pass or a clear test within 72 hours to allow you to board the plane.

Timaru District Council Chief Executive Bede Carran said that the Council had put a lot of work into understanding the risks while forming its local response to the Government’s protection framework.

“Our priority is the overall health and wellbeing of our local community,” he said.

“With the overwhelming majority of our community now vaccinated we’ve made these decisions to ensure the highest level of protection for everyone.

“In enacting the Government’s COVID-19 protection framework locally we’ve focused on the safety of our community, ease of access and ensuring that our facilities are as safe as possible for all staff and users.

“A large number of the people who use our facilities are from high risk groups such as older people and younger children that can’t be vaccinated, and we feel that we have an obligation to do our bit to protect them.

“Through ensuring all our staff are vaccinated we can give our community the reassurance that the people working out in the community every day are at a significantly lower risk of passing on COVID.

“As a Council we’d recommend that people take the opportunity to get vaccinated as soon as they can. Vaccination is the best tool we have in the fight against COVID, and to help ensure people can easily access all the facilities and businesses in our district.

“Our approach will provide some certainty going into the traffic light system, but we will continue talking to our community and stakeholders to ensure we have the settings right on a long term basis.

“This will be a challenging time as we all learn to live under the new framework, and I’d ask people to be patient with our frontline council staff who are working hard to keep the community safe.”

For more detailed information regarding council facilities at COVID Protection Level Orange, visit Timaru.govt.nz/covid19

Overview of council services as of Friday 3 December 2021:

*Please note that although Timaru Airport Terminal is not a Vaccine Pass site, Air New Zealand require a Vaccine Pass or a negative test within 72 hours to travel.

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