COVID-19 information
At Environment Southland we appreciate the impact that COVID-19 has had and continues to have on our communities. On this page, we’ll keep you updated on what that means for our services but if you have any questions that aren’t answered, please give us a call.
Alert level 2 – What does this mean for our services?
Our office remains open to the public with some restrictions in place, including signing in and ensuring a two-metre physical distance.
Our services continue to be available. We encourage you, where possible, to keep using alternative ways to contact us:
Call us on 0800 76 88 45
Use our online form on the contact us page
Email us on service@es.govt.nz
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/environmentsouthland
If you need to make a payment, those services will be available at the office but with hygiene measures in place. We will have hand sanitising stations and physical distancing protocols, and as required by the Ministry of Health we will collect the necessary information for contact tracing. You can be assured that this data will be treated with the same privacy measures as any other information we collect. Our priority is to keep visitors and staff safe, so please do not come to our office if you are unwell.
Making an appointment
If you wish to see somebody in person, you will need to phone to make an appointment. This is important as not all staff will be on site and suitable rooms for meetings where physical distancing can be maintained are limited. We can provide digital options for meetings, but if you do need to come to the office, we will make an appointment and go through the necessary information with you. If you are at all unwell on the day of this appointment, please phone and cancel.
Our staff out and about
As more normal services resume, you may see our staff out in the community. We’re making sure we adhere to Ministry of Health guidelines and our priority is to keep you and our staff safe, so if see them on your travels please keep the two metre distance – but you can still give a friendly wave.
Council meetings
Council meetings will continue in the Council Chambers. These meetings will be livestreamed and are available on our facebook page and website. The meetings will now be open to the public, however in order to maintain appropriate numbers to meet physical distancing requirements, you must ring and book a seat prior to the meeting. This will be operated on a first-in, first-served basis and again, please do not attend if you are at all unwell.
For updated information about our council meetings, please visit the meetings page.
Do you need assistance?
We know the COVID-19 situation has placed a huge strain on many in our community, financially and emotionally. Help is available, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need it.
Those dealing with anxiety or distressed by the pandemic can call or text 1737 any time of the day or week to talk to a trained counsellor.
Further information
· For official information around COVID-19, visit the government’s dedicated website www.covid19.govt.nz
· You can also visit the Ministry of Health website for detailed health information.
· For information on other councils in the region and their planning for COVID-19, visit the websites of the Gore District Council , Invercargill City Council , or Southland District Council .
