There is a high likelihood that our staff and contractors will be impacted, by either becoming infected or identified as close contacts. We ask that our community remains understanding, that while we have taken all practicable steps to ensure we continue our services we are vulnerable to the impacts of this pandemic event just like many other organisations.

As a primary step to ensure we continue to provide services, we have split our workforce into two teams to help minimise the risk that this outbreak could impact our staffing levels.

However, we are likely to see a reduced level of service to the community and so Council has registered as a Critical Services provider with MBIE to ensure that we can utilise the test to return to work permission for our applicable critical staff. This will ensure that our critical services are still able to continue for the community. There are however parts of Council that are not part of the Critical Services Test to Return to work grouping this means there may be delays or a temporary drop in deliverable levels of service.

Council services that are critical to the community

Council and our contractors will ensure that the below services will continue to operate throughout Red settings should there be a widespread Omicron outbreak in the Manawatū District:

• Essential governance services and decision making
• Critical Infrastructure – water / wastewater / roading
• Animal control - public safety / animal welfare
• Rubbish collection and waste transfer stations
• Burials and cemetery services
• Customer contact centre via our 06 323 0000 phone number
• Cleaning of essential operational and public facilities
• Urgent regulatory services such as inspections of dangerous buildings
• Critical community welfare
• Civil Defence Emergency Management (including membership of our Emergency Operations Centre team)
• Services and support to keep critical services running such as our IT services

Council services that could have delays

Council will endeavor to provide these services in the event of an Omicron outbreak, however, they will have a reduced level of service if our staff or contractors are impact by positive cases or identified as close contacts:

• Finance (Rates)
• Parks and Property
• Roading – New projects (essential maintenance will continue)
• Planning and Resource Consenting
• Building services

Council services that we could have to cut back on

If there is widespread community transmission of Omicron in the Manawatū District and it is having a significant impact on staffing levels, then the below services may cease to operate until the outbreak has passed its peak or is contained:

• Feilding Library
• Makino Aquatic Centre

Public conveniences

Public toilets in identified critical locations will remain open and will be cleaned and serviced regularly. These locations are:

• Feilding CBD
• Kōwhai Park
• Timona Park
• Sanson
• Cheltenham