TDC imposes staff vaccine mandate

All Tasman District Council staff must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by March 25.

The new requirement comes after the Government on Sunday moved New Zealand into the red traffic light setting on the Covid Protection Framework.

Evidence of a first vaccination must be provided no later than March 4. From Tuesday, any unvaccinated staff need to work from home until they can show evidence of vaccination.

Chief executive Janine Dowding said the council’s Covid Vaccination Policy, which was finalised in December, signalled that a move to red on the Covid Protection Framework envisaged a requirement for all council staff to be fully vaccinated.

‘‘We have an obligation under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2012 to provide a work environment that limits risks to health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable,’’ Dowding said.

‘‘While we hoped at the time that we might not need to activate the requirement, the emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of Covid-19 in our region has elevated the risk to our staff and community.’’

The number of affected employees could not yet be determined, but Dowding said she was confident that a ‘‘large majority’’ of staff were already fully vaccinated.

Dowding said staff who were not prepared to be vaccinated would be ‘‘given support and the opportunity to discuss their options’’.

Overall service levels were expected to be largely unaffected by the vaccination requirement, she said, although some council offices might need to offer reduced hours to accommodate staff absences.

Staff who were able to work from home ‘‘fully and productively’’ were encouraged to do so, and all council meetings would be conducted via Zoom while the red setting was in force.

Customer service offices at Richmond, Motueka and Tākaka are open, and vaccine passes are not required. People are encouraged to make contact via phone or online channels, or make an appointment if face-to-face interaction is preferred.

Visitors to council libraries require a vaccine pass for entry, including the combined council office and library at Murchison.

A vaccine pass is also required for entry to the Motueka Recreation Centre, but not the Moutere, Golden Bay and Murchison centres. However, groups will be limited, and masks are needed, except when exercising.

The Richmond Aquatic Centre also requires visitors to have a vaccine pass.

For council-owned or managed campgrounds, vaccine passes are required to enter and stay at the Pōhara, Motueka Top 10 and Murchison sites. Campgrounds at Collingwood, Kina and McKee Domain do not require vaccine passes, and will be open with distancing and mask-wearing protocols.