COVID-19 Information

Here you'll find information and updates from Council in relation to the pandemic.

Last updated: Wednesday 1 April 2020

Useful links

Key points

• All Council libraries, service centres, swimming pools, recycling centres, playgrounds, boat ramps, and some public toilets are closed until further notice.
• Our contact centre team is operating at a reduced capacity, however we will still be responding to phone, email and online enquiries as normal (24 hours). If you need to get in touch with us, you can do so via the contact form on our website, phone 07 571 8008 or 0800 926 732 or email customer.service@westernbay.govt.nz.
• Our focus is on health and safety issues only.
• An Emergency Council Committee has been formed to streamline Council's decision making during the pandemic response.
• Please see below for information on all other Council services.

Community facilities closed

All Council libraries, service centres, swimming pools, playgrounds, recycling centres, boat ramps and some public toilets are closed until further notice.

Closed facilities:

Roading and water services

Roading is in ‘emergency works’ mode and we will only respond to issues affecting safety – e.g. fallen trees, significant pot holes.

Our focus is on maintaining water and wastewater services with a priority on drinking water. Our response will be focused on major incidents. Minor operational issues such as leaking tobies might not be addressed immediately. Water metre reading has been put on hold.

Libraries

The due dates on any items you currently have out of our libraries will be automatically extended. There will be no overdue fees. No further books can be issued and reserved books will not be able to be collected. Please do not return any library books currently issued.

As a library member, you have access to thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks online, as well as newspapers and magazines and a range of online databases for you to explore. See our library website for all the details.

Recycling/greenwaste centres

Our recycling and greenwaste centres – Katikati, Athenree, Omokoroa, Te Puke and the fortnightly rural recycling trial programme at BP Pongakawa are closed until further notice.

Tauranga City Council's transfer stations in Te Maunga and Maleme Street and Jack Shaw’ cleanfill site in Tauriko are closed to the public until the further notice.

• Where possible, please store recycling at your property until things return to normal. If you cannot dispose of your rubbish bags via a kerbside service please store these at your property also.
• Do not dump rubbish, recycling or greenwaste on road verges, parks or down gullies. Be a responsible tidy Kiwi.
• For greenwaste – now is the time to start that compost heap. Grass clippings can be put around trees.

Kerbside rubbish and recycling collection

Waste collection is an essential service and will continue to operate through the level 4 alert. However, there may be some changes to the way your provider operates during this time. Please contact your waste service provider if you have further questions.

• General household waste will continue to be collected.
• Mixed recycling will continue to be collected, however this may go to landfill during the level 4 alert.
• Garden, foodwaste and organic waste will continue to be collected, however this may go to landfill during the level 4 alert.

Reserves and playgrounds

• All playgrounds in the Western Bay are closed. Please keep off all equipment. Council is looking to remove swing seats and erect signage advising of the closures. It is very important that people stay away from playgrounds because the disease can stay on shared hard surfaces like swings and slides for up to 72 hours.
• Parks and reserves remain open so you can get exercise and fresh air. Ensure you follow safe social distancing - this means keeping 2 metres away from other people not in your isolation bubble.
• TECT Park is closed until further notice.
• Mowing services – at this point reserves and berms will not be mowed. With the rain and warm weather the grass will get longer.

Public toilets

A number of our public toilets are closed as the disease can remain on hard surfaces for up to 72 hours.

Public toilets in key locations remain open for essential workers, however we expect that with the level 4 lockdown there will be little use of these toilets.

Available public toilets:

Helpline for the vulnerable

Bay of Plenty Civil Defence has set up an 0800 number to help isolated and vulnerable people in our communities during the Level 4 lockdown.

This helpline is for those that might not have support networks such as family, neighbours and friends to help get groceries, warm blankets, heating or other essential items they need.

The number is 0800 884 222 and you can reach them 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week.

Building, planning and development services

Where possible, staff are working remotely and will continue to provide limited online services for LIM's, building applications, resource consents and engineering design approvals.

All Council’s online portals for these services remain available, but customers might experience a change or delay in their service delivery.

There will be no inspections or site visits undertaken until the alert level is reduced.

Please contact us if you require any further information about available services or alternatively the building.govt.nz website.

Freedom camping

Self-contained vehicles are acceptable places for self-isolation under the current restrictions.

However, all freedom camping sites across the Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga are closed, and remaining campers are asked to base themselves at the closest of three remaining freedom camping sites being kept open for the rest of the lockdown period.

The three sites are:

• Commerce Lane car park, Te Puke
• Uretara Domain, Katikati
• Marine Park, Tauranga (Sulphur Point)

These three freedom camp sites are only for people who are in self-contained vehicles, and are not currently in Alert Level 4 lockdown at a campground. From these locations, people have access to water, food, healthcare and waste disposal with minimal travel.

The sites have been prepared for people who are in campervans that are completely self-sufficient. Anyone staying in a tent or a non self-contained vehicle needs to seek help for temporary accommodation by contacting the Temporary Accommodation Service on 0508 754 163.

Please report concerns about people not self-isolating to the Police; they are responsible for enforcing the Government's Alert Level 4 restrictions. This should be completed via the New Zealand Police's online form: https://forms.police.govt.nz/forms/covid-19-l4-breach

For more information visit the media release or download this document for more information on the locations of freedom camping sites and facilities.

Animal services

If you're heading out for a walk around your neighbourhood with your dog, we recommend keeping your dog on-leash at this time.

Exercising your dog during isolation:

• Walk your dog on leash. Keeping them on a leash minimises the chance of attacks and accidents.
• Do not invite any people on the dog walk who are not in self-isolation with you already.
• Try to avoid places where there are likely to be other people, to maintain social distancing of 2m from others. This includes your dog.
• For more tips visit the Companion Animals website.

Public safety complaints only will be attended by our animal control officers. This includes dog attacks on people, dogs roaming on state highways, or dangerous dogs roaming.

Lost and found dogs - where possible members of the public should make efforts to identify the owner and return the dog. Support will be provided by Council staff where owners cannot be identified.

Boat ramps

All boat ramps in the Western Bay are closed. Signage has been put up at boat ramps to advise of this.

Noise complaints

Any gatherings of persons should be notified to the Police.

Response to excessive noise complaints will only be undertaken where the noise is sustained for an extended period and is impacting community wellbeing.

Save our pipes from wipes

Wet wipes are causing a real headache for Council at the moment with an increase in people putting them down the toilet instead of in the rubbish during the COVID-19 lockdown.

This is causing an increase in blockages in the wastewater pipes. Repairing these blockages is putting staff at higher risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus.

We realise that wipes are a convenient and hygienic option during the Alert Level 4 situation, but please don’t flush them down the toilet. Place them in a bag and put them out for rubbish pick-up to the landfill.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries will continue to operate and if required for a funeral will be accessed through the normal process.

Events

Following the Government’s decision on cancelling public gatherings of 500-plus people, we have taken immediate steps to implement this.

Council’s three free Hello Future District Future Fun Day public events planned for Te Puke (27 March), Katikati (28 March) and Te Puna (3 April), as part of the Long Term Plan, have been cancelled.

All other planned events have been cancelled.