The Department of Internal Affairs

Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs

Building a safe, prosperous and respected nation



 

Update - Wednesday 19 August 2020

COVID-19 Local Government Response Unit main page

The Auckland region (Auckland Council area) remains at Alert Level 3 until 11:59 pm Wednesday 26 August and the rest of New Zealand remains at Alert Level 2.

A reminder that from midday today all council facilities must display the NZ COVID Tracer app QR code. Please remember to ensure these are wheelchair accessible and as such there are available QR codes displayed no more than 130cm above the ground.

The Prime Minister’s update today reminds us that this is an event that requires ongoing systems improvement. The Response Unit remains on hand to support you as we undertake this process as a country.

You can send enquiries to your usual SOLGM, LGNZ, DIA contacts or this inbox.

Wage Subsidy Update

You can no longer apply for the original Wage Subsidy.  Applications for the original Wage Subsidy had to be made before 10 June 2020. 

For easy reference, please refer to copy of our April 2020 guidance on the original Subsidy as some of this is still relevant if you are considering seeking a Wage Subsidy Extension.

You may be able to get a Wage Subsidy Extension if you're still significantly impacted by COVID-19 and apply before 11.59 pm on 1 September 2020. 

More information is available on the Extension at on the Work and Income website, but some key points to note are:

  • You can apply to cover the wages of your employees over an 8 week period.
  • You can apply for the Wage Subsidy Extension for your employee, even if you haven't applied for the Wage Subsidy for them before.
  • You can't apply for the same employee twice.
  • If you have applied for the Wage Subsidy or Leave Support Scheme for your employee, you need to wait until those payments are finished before you can apply for the Wage Subsidy Extension.
  • You can't receive more than one COVID-19 payment for the same employee at the same time.
  • The business must have experienced a minimum 40% decline in revenue (related to COVID-19) for a continuous 30 day period.
  • The 30 day period must be:
    • in the 40 days before you apply (but no earlier than 10 May 2020)
    • compared to the closest period last year.

The Resurgence Wage Subsidy

As per previous advice, the Government has also announced the Resurgence Wage Subsidy. It’s a two-week payment for businesses who meet the criteria and aren’t getting the Wage Subsidy, Wage Subsidy Extension or the Leave Support Scheme. A business can't receive more than one COVID-19 payment for the same employee at the same time.

The Resurgence Subsidy is so businesses can keep paying their employees.  It is available to employers who have had, or expect to have, a revenue drop of at least 40% because of COVID-19, for a 14 day period between 12 August to 10 September, compared to a similar period last year.

Applications for the Resurgence Subsidy can be made from 1 pm on 21 August 2020 to 3 September 2020. For more information about the Subsidy criteria and application, requirements see the Work and Income website.

 

Travel Exemptions

Travel into, out of and through the Auckland region is heavily restricted while the region is at Alert Level 3. The police are enforcing this at checkpoints.

You must have an exemption, either under the Health Order or from the Director-General of Health, to travel between a level 2 and 3 zone.

We have had some concerns raised by neighbouring councils about exemptions to travel through Auckland or to cross this boundary for services such as solid waste.

For clarity: Waste has now been identified as an exempted utility service included in the updated Health Order gazetted today which should mitigate these concerns 

Very limited travel across the Auckland boundary is permitted for some work purposes. Exemptions have been put in place and do not require special authorisation to travel for example:

  • you are moving freight. All freight (goods, livestock, waste, etc.) movements can occur into, out of and through Auckland;
  • work for public transport services that are under contract with a territorial authority, and
  • work for organisations listed in Schedule 1 of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002. (Which includes: An entity that supplies or distributes water to the inhabitants of a city, district, or other place; and an entity that provides a waste water or sewerage network or that disposes of sewage or storm water.)

Each individual should carry photo identification and an official, recently dated, letter — either in hard copy or on their phone — from their employer that:

  • indicates their travel is necessary, and
  • clearly states which of the above categories they are travelling under.

If documentation is not provided, Police will refuse access to the vehicle and request they turn back.

The latest information on inter-regional travel between Alert Levels can be found on the COVID website here. The website sets out information on:

  • Travelling within regions at Alert Level 2;
  • Travel into, out of, and through Auckland; and
  • Exemptions for travel into, out of, and through the Auckland region.

Notices relating to these exemptions can be found here.

Information on the process for applications for other travel exemptions can be found here. Requests for exemptions should be sent to the COVID-19 policy response.

We understand the team processing these applications has been expanded and are working through these applications at pace.

COVID-19 Response Preparedness

It is important we remain prepared and aware of our responsibilities and service levels across the Alert Level Framework should your region need to change Alert Levels.

We encourage councils to continue to promote best practice within your communities for good hand hygiene, and cough etiquette. You may find posters to support these messages on the COVID-19 Government website.

You will find detail of all the COVID-19 Alert Levels on the COVID-19 website on the COVID-19 Government website.

The most up-to-date guidance on council services and operations across the COVID-19 Alert Levels can be found on the COVID-19 Response Unit webpage.

Other useful Resources

You may sign up to the daily All of Government email newsletter.

You may find posters to support key messages on the COVID-19 Government website.

Foreign nationals in need of assistance can check their eligibility and apply online on the Redcross website.
Connected.govt.nz has been launched by MDS to assist workers, employers and job seekers navigate all of the available COVID recovery programmes and assistance. The website is supported by a free phone line, 0800 264 737 and MSD have 35 physical Connected locations around the country.