No ‘sudden dictatorship’

Marlborough’s Civil Defence boss says New Zealand faces a long and ‘‘incredibly complex’’ situation as it enters lockdown to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The country entered a state of emergency on Wednesday, giving Civil Defence teams the powers to conserve and supply of fuel, close roads, prohibit and regulate traffic, and exclude people from certain places.

The powers were invoke under the Health Act 1956, the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002, the Social Security Act 2018 and the Immigration Act 2009 after the Epidemic Preparedness (Epidemic Management— COVID-19) Notice 2020 was agreed by Parliament.

Marlborough Civil Defence emergency manager Brian Paton said the coronavirus pandemic was not as unforseen as the 2016 Kaiko¯ ura earthquake, where he woke at midnight then worked a 20-hour shift, but it might be the longest.

‘‘This one is incredibly complex for the implications around it,’’ he said.

He said the ‘‘rare as hens’ teeth’’ emergency declaration sent a clear message of how seriously the Government was taking coronavirus.

‘‘We really do need [the declaration] in the likely event that some people are not going to play by the rules. I’m confident the vast majority will ... but when we have a population of four million, we know not all are going to.’’

But the declaration did not mean a ‘‘sudden dictatorship’’, he said.

‘‘The interesting thing is it gives [civil defence] a lot of powers, but you still have to pay for things. Like if you want [to requisition] a digger, you still have to pay the man the going rate . . . I can just direct people to do stuff.’’

Paton said he hoped civil defence would not need to put physical barriers up on Marlborough’s main roads, but did not rule the possibility out, saying blocks could be needed if nonessential workers were found trying to travel.

Police could enforce rules around the coronavirus response.

He encouraged people to keep exercising outdoors ‘‘for mental and physical health’’ purposes, look after themselves, and ‘‘be kind to one another’’.

Paton, who was on his fourth year of emergency management, spent yesterday, the first day of the lockdown, resting after 10 consecutive days on the clock.

Paton asked community groups earlier this week to take care of their own – a call he now said had been taken up by many groups, in particular Te Puni Ko¯ kiri Ministry of Ma¯ ori Development, who were working with

Te Tau Ihu (top of the south) iwi to deliver goods and services to wha¯ nau.

His three person team was bolstered this week by four council staff, who had been redeployed from non-critical services, like Marlborough libraries.

Members had spread out to reduce the risk of coronavirus, which was hard for a team, who were usually ‘‘living in each others lap’’.

Paton said they had also moved to a rolling roster.

If work ramped over the coming weeks, the civil defence team could swell to 12 people, but that could prompt the team to move off-site to maintain the two metre distance recommended by the Ministry of Health.

Marlborough Civil Defence welfare manager Catherine Coates said coronavirus was the first time anyone in New Zealand had dealt with a pandemic.

‘‘This is something that is going to be around for a while, so it’s important to remember to be kind to one another.’’

Those needing welfare assistance should contact the council on 03 520 7400 or welfare@marlboroughcdem.co.nz.