Changes to Council services at Alert Level 4
Yesterday’s announcement by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern that the country has moved to Alert Level 4 means council operations have changed to meet Alert Level 4 restrictions and advice, to help ensure the safety of our staff and community. Our priority at this, and every Alert Level, will continue to be delivering essential services such as water and wastewater.
Our main office is closed. Staff are still available to take your calls on 07 315 3030. We encourage you to access Council services through our website www.odc.govt.nz or email info@odc.govt.nz with your enquiry. All non-essential staff will be working from home.
The i-Site Visitor Information Center is closed. Please check directly with Intercity if you have travel planned to see if there are changes to schedules.
The Library is closed. Many services are available on the Library’s Kotui website or through their app. You can still contact the team on 027 8073 990, email library@odc.govt.nz, or flick them a message at Opotiki District Library. There are no fines for overdue books.
The urban kerbside refuse and recycling collection will continue. Please put your refuse and recycling bins out as normal. The contractors are unable to sort the recycling so this will go to landfill. If you can, please store your clean recycling to put out after alert levels change.
Resource Recovery Centres will operate as follows:
- Council will only be accepting daily household residual waste. No separated recycling will be accepted during level 4 lockdown.
- All visitor vehicle registrations and driver details may be recorded and covid QR codes will be available at all sites.
- Refuse recovery centres will be only be accepting household residual waste.
- Refuse recovery centres will not be accepting metal, wood, tires, furniture, demolition materials and green waste as well as others waste not listed here.
- Refuse recover personnel will only be directing waste drop offs. They will not be assisting with lifting or handling of waste.
- Separated recycling will not be accepted or processed by RRC staff.
- If possible Council asks the public to clean and store recyclable material, particularly glass, tin and cardboard until after the lockdown period.
- Materials that would normally be recycled can be included in the household waste but this will be going directly to landfill.
- Waste that is accepted will be at no cost.
- Due to the increased level of operations, some delays should be expected.
Essential services personnel, including Council staff and Council contractors, will continue to operate throughout the Opotiki Township and along the coast. These personnel will be working to keep our essential services running which include Solid Waste, Wastewater, Water Supply, and the event of an emergency such as a storm, Land Transport and Stormwater. We ask that these personnel be left to get on with their important work. They will be trying to practice zero contact for their safety and the safety of the public as far as possible.
The sewerage service will continue as normal. We stress the importance of only flushing toilet paper. Wet/baby wipes can cause pump stations to block up resulting in loss of service.
Potable (drinking) water service will continue as normal.
As a Council we are here to support our community. Our planning is robust and together we can unite against Covid-19. You can find all the information you need on Covid-19 on the government’s dedicated covid19.govt.nz website.
It is vital you follow the government’s updates and understand what is required of us all to stop the spread of Covid-19. We are all in this together.
Don’t forget to make time to message or phone your friends and family regularly especially the elderly or vulnerable.
