Some relief today as the Government has announced that Auckland will move to alert level 3 from 11:59pm Tuesday, while the rest of the country will remain at Alert Level 2.

For our Auckland members a key focus will be on bringing your workforce back onsite and ensuring that your team understands the requirements for operating at Level 3 and their responsibilities.  It is critical that your workers know they are expected to remain in their home & travel bubbles without exception, to protect your business and the rest of your team. Bringing Covid into the into the business / workplace would be devastating.       

Moving to Level 3

It is a good idea to go through the NZPPI protocols with your team members that are returning to work.  There are new requirements, like scanning in, masks, etc that they must be aware of. Strong reminders about home and travel bubbles, interacting with visitors and the public are important to make sure they understand their responsibilities. Please see our resources at the bottom of this page. 

We encourage you to get each worker returning to work to sign their own copy of the protocols. A team meeting before you restart is a great opportunity to explain the rules and get their commitment.

Level 3 means that more of your team are back at work and there are fewer restrictions on the range of activities that you can undertake, including propagation, growing and despatching plants.  Importantly, revegetation & landscape planting, as well as click and collect retail sales can resume.

Some reminders for operating at Level 3 are:

• Pick up and delivery of plants & materials at nurseries, planting sites and at retail garden centres must be contactless This means that the public and freight drivers should not interact with your staff, requiring contactless delivery such as click and collect retail sales.
• Masks are not mandatory at Level 3 unless you are public facing. However, mask use is strongly encouraged indoors and when staff are working in close (2 metre) proximity. 
• Workers, visitors and the public must scan the COVID-19 QR code, or sign in, on arrival at the site.
• Maintaining home, travel & workplace bubbles and ensuring that hygiene practices are followed by staff is required & expected.

Auckland Border

Work travel is allowed within Level 3 regions but must be restricted to necessary trips. Travel letters must be carried when travelling outside your region.   

Freight is able to move freely within and between the regions that are in Level 3 and there are no restrictions on what can be transported. 

The Government signalled that applications for travel exemptions across the Auckland border are more difficult to obtain.  We have heard today that some exemptions that were accepted last week were not accepted today.   If you are having problems with borer exemptions, please get in touch with us.  

A reminder that people crossing the border will need to be tested.  The number of testing stations close to the border has been increased and saliva testing is available.  Go to www.covid19salivatesting.co.nz for a full list of testing sites.   

We are continuing to work with the Government and our members hour by hour to advocate for you during the COVID-19 crisis.  Please get in touch if you have questions or if you would like further information. 

Matt - 027 622 9255
Alix - 022 084 3677