Government clarifies: Warehouse to shut, dairies stay open
MBIE deputy chief executive Paul Stocks said the purpose of escalating New Zealand's Covid-19 alert level to 4 was to stop the virus in its tracks and reduce contact between people. "That's why we need as many businesses as possible to close their premises now if our one shot at beating the virus is to be successful," Stocks said. "Only the businesses absolutely essential to ensure the necessities of life, like supermarkets and pharmacies, can stay open. If in doubt, the business premises should be closed." He said that meant the Warehouse needed to close its stores. Stocks said "big box" retailers like Bunnings, PlaceMakers and Mitre 10 can stay open to trade customers for essential purposes only. "These retailers play an important part in the construction supply chain, but they cannot sell goods to the general public." Dairies can continue to operate, but must ensure strict physical distancing rules for customers. Stocks said dairies sold basic food items like bread and milk, often to the elderly who may not be able to get to a supermarket. "If any dairy breaks the rules, we will shut it down. If there is evidence of systemic abuse, we will remove them from the essential services list." All restaurants, cafes and bars must close all aspects of their operation, including delivery. That means food delivery services like Uber Eats and Deliver Easy cannot operate either, however, the delivery of food that is not pre-cooked will be allowed. "We are doing further work on online ordering of non-food products for home delivery to see if this type of retail can be conducted safely. We will update advice on this once further decisions are made," Stocks said. Liquor stores will also need to close, except where they operate in licensing trust areas. Businesses that are a critical part of the supply chain for essential services are also able to continue operating, but must do so in a way that is safe. "For example, if you make chemicals that are needed for our waste-water plants, then we need you to keep operating at the minimum level required." Stocks said there would be significant limits on what people could buy, however, the list could be adapted if it was found some essential services needed to be made available. Stocks confirmed that smaller shops - including fruit and vegetable store operators - would be closed during the month-long lockdown. Butchers were also not considered an essential service and would be closing their doors after today too.
Full details on essential services:
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***Dairies to stay open, with "one-in one-out" rule
***Food delivery prohibited, except meals on wheels and delivery of food not pre-cooked
***Liquor stores closed, unless within a Licensing Trust Area and with "one-in one-out" rule
***Self-service laundries can stay open, two-metre physical distancing to be enforced
***Retirement villages included as an essential service
***The Warehouse to close stores to the public
***Bunnings, PlaceMakers, Mitre 10 and other retailers essential to the supply chain for building and construction can stay open for trade customers for essential purposes only
***The Tiwai Point smelter exempt from closure
***NZ Steel shut down in a way that allows for production to recommence easily
***Pulp and paper plants to shut down non-essential elements in a way that allows for production to recommence easily while maintaining essential production
***Methanex to remain in production, but at a scale consistent with stability of gas supply.
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Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.3% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.7% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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