Waikato District Council’s essential services to continue
Rubbish collections and other essential services will continue in the Waikato district, but Council offices and sites are now closed to the public, following the move to Covid-19 Alert Level 3 and 4.
As of today, Tuesday 24 March, Alert Level 3 is in place. This requires public venues to close and for businesses and organisations to enforce alternative ways of working to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
From midnight on Wednesday 25 March, Alert Level 4 will be in place which instructs people to stay at home, educational facilities to close and non-essential businesses to close. A list of the essential businesses that will remain open can be found on covid19.govt.nz...
“I want to reassure our residents that Waikato District Council will continue to provide essential services to its communities,” says Chief Executive Gavin Ion. “There will still be safe drinking water, they will still be able to flush their toilets and rubbish and recycling will continue to be collected while Alert Level 3 and 4 are in place.”
However, all Council offices, sites and community facilities, including pools, playgrounds and libraries are closed. Huntly and Raglan campgrounds are also closed.
“Council has contingency plans in place and as of today, Tuesday 24 March, all Council staff who can perform their role from home are now doing so,” says Mr Ion.
“There may be some changes we need to make to our services, so please be patient as we work through this. If changes are needed we will notify the public as soon as possible.”
Some other information to be aware of:
- Please do not return library books. Late fees will be waived.
- Please do not send anything by post. If you need to contact us, please phone or email. Our mail delivery service has been cancelled at this stage.
- Anything posted to us over the past few days may not arrive at our offices.
Residents can still get assistance from Council’s Customer Services team by calling 0800 492 452.
For further updates please visit Council’s website on www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz... or connect on its Facebook page.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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53.7% Human-centred experience and communication
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14.6% Critical thinking
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29.1% Resilience and adaptability
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2.6% Other - I will share below!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Poll: Are you a Te Huia fan?
All three Hamilton MPs appear to be united behind the retention of the Te Huia passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland, as well as potentially expanding it to Tauranga.
But whether Hamilton East’s Ryan Hamilton, Hamilton West’s Tama Potaka and soon-to-be Labour list MP Georgie Dansey have the combined power to shunt transport minister Chris Bishop and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon onto their line of thinking remains to be seen.
Are you a Te Huia fan? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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81.4% Yes
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18.6% No
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