Whanganui District Council COVID-19 Update #3
Published on 25 March 2020
As New Zealand prepares to enter Level 4 in its response to COVID-19, Whanganui District Council is well-prepared.
The Council's Chief Executive, Kym Fell, says, “We have been preparing for this for more than a month and activated our plans several days ago.
“While Council offices and facilities are now closed, the Whanganui community can be assured that we are focussed on ensuring essential Council services will continue during Level 4 of the COVID-19 response,” says Mr Fell.
Please note the following updates for today:
Customer Services
The Council call centre is open with essential queries such as drinking and waste water, solid waste, essential roading services, and animal management having priority. If you need to contact the Council, please call 06 349 0001.
Roading
Work on the Whanganui District Council roading network will be reduced to essential services only for the immediate four week shutdown as detailed below:
- routes that are lifelines are clear
- Grading to rural unsealed roads to keep them driveable and safe for food production and supply trips, and to ensure drainage to channels is functioning. No metalling will take place.
- The urban sweeper truck will continue to operate to ensure sumps feeding stormwater infrastructure are kept clear and functioning during the upcoming seasonal leaf fall
- Further resources will be only on an as-needed emergency basis
- Callouts to events such as drainage alarm faults, slips or trees down across a road
- All current roadworks sites including Gloucester Street, Victoria Ave, Glasgow St and Papaiti Road will be backfilled, tidied up and left in safe, trafficable condition by the end of Wednesday, 25 March, 2020.
There is now RESTRICTED ACCESS TO the WHANGANUI RIVER ROAD AND KAIWHAIKI ROAD
- Access to the Whanganui River Road and Kaiwhaiki Road is currently restricted to residents and essential and emergency services only. Signage will be placed at both ends of the Whanganui River Road and at the entrance to Kaiwhaiki Road. Apart from essential and emergency services, non-residents must not use these roads under any circumstances.
- Please respect the restrictions and adhere to the government stipulation to cease all non-essential travel. We ask you to stay home - and be safe.
Water and wastewater services
Operational maintenance and repair will be kept to essential work only, to ensure a continual supply of water and wastewater services to residences and business premises.
Waste Management
The front area of the Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre, at 81 Maria Place, remains open 24/7 for the drop-off of dry recyclables – plastic, glass, steel and aluminium cans, and so on – but access to the rear of the centre is closed until further notice.
Waste Management will close its Midtown Transfer & Recycling Depot, at 14 Liffiton Street, to the public at midnight tonight, Wednesday, 25 March 2020, until further notice. (The EnviroWaste Wanganui Transfer Station and Recycling Centre at 27 Gilberd Street is already closed.)
Please note that commercial customers deemed an essential service will still have access to the Midtown Transfer & Recycling Depot during the Government’s four-week shutdown period.
Kerbside collection of wheelie bins and stickered rubbish bags from residential addresses will continue – collection will be on the usual days.
Rural waste collection services will also continue as usual.
The public is reminded that all rubbish bags placed for collection must have stickers and comply with collection requirements.
Collection requirements are: rubbish bags must not be more than 10kg in weight and be no larger than 60 litres in size. Bags exceeding these limits will not be collected.
Animal Management
The Whanganui District Council dog pound is currently closed to the public.
Please be assured, our staff are still attending to the dogs in the pound as per normal. We have prepared for this situation and have ample food, cleaning supplies and basic health supplies.
Animal management officers are available for priority incidents where there is immediate threat to any person or property, such as a dog attack or stock wandering on a public highway.
Public toilets
After review, the following public toilets will be kept OPEN:
- Pakaitore Moutoa Gardens (24/7)
- St Hill Street men’s and women’s (24/7).
Cleaning contractors will clean these toilets twice a day.
Parks and Playgrounds
All Council parks and playgrounds are closed. Freedom camping areas in Whanganui are closed and all freedom campers are requested to stay at registered camp grounds with facilities suitable for self-isolation.
Dump stations for waste disposal are considered an essential service and will be available for self-contained vehicles.
Whanganui dump stations are located at:
- Springvale Park, London Street side (at main entrance to complex)
- 148 Taupō Quay, (self-contained parking opposite)
- Whanganui East Club, 101 Wakefield Street
- Kowhai Park, 140a Anzac Parade
Libraries
All Whanganui libraries are closed and cannot accept returns. Just hold on to any borrowed items – there will be no overdue charges of any kind.
Whanganui District Library cannot answer phones or respond to phone messages but you can get in touch by emailing: info@whanganuilibrary.com
Information on Council levels of service can be found on the Whanganui District Council website https://whanganui.govt.nz/covid-19
For information on the national response to COVID-19, please visit the New Zealand Government site: https://covid19.govt.nz/
For information on the local response to managing COVID-19, please visit the Whanganui District Health Board website https://www.wdhb.org.nz/