Mt Vic lookout could close
The sun was out yesterday and so were the walkers. Even in lockdown, Mt Victoria was a particular hotspot and mayor Andy Foster says the popularity of the city’s lookout could force the council to close it.
Wellington’s Mt Victoria lookout could be closed to stop large groups of people congregating there during the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.
Mayor Andy Foster said the lookout, along with Oriental Parade, had become a popular spot for people exercising during the lockdown, and that could force the council to close it.
The advice from police during the lockdown is for people to exercise locally, avoid driving, and stay at least two metres apart from people outside of their ‘‘bubble’’.
‘‘Police Commissioner Mike Bush, and director of Civil Defence Emergency Management Sarah Stuart-Black, both fellow Wellingtonians, have expressed concerns about how busy places like Oriental Parade and Mt Victoria summit have been during this fine weather,’’ Foster said in his daily mayoral update on Tuesday.
‘‘We don’t want to have to close the Mt Victoria lookout, but we will be obliged to if too many people are going up there.’’
Police said they had received anecdotal reports of people travelling to Mt Victoria for exercise, and reminded people to stay within their neighbourhoods.
‘‘In short, if it’s on your doorstep or close, it’s fine. If you have to drive any real distance, it’s not.
‘‘If you are exercising, you must keep a two-metre distance from other people at all times.’’
Foster encouraged people to keep exercising in their local areas, but reiterated the need to avoid busy places where physical distancing was difficult.
‘‘Normally we all enjoy chatting on the street on a sunny day, but with this unseen, deadly virus, we need to keep good physical separation. So please avoid busy places and times because that risks transmission of the Covid-19 virus. Please also don’t travel to hot spots like these for recreation.’’
A Wellington City Council spokesman said the closure of the lookout was being considered following numerous reports from members of the public about large groups of people gathering there.
The council was monitoring the situation and would rope off the stairs between the summit car park and the lookout if the situation did not improve.
Meanwhile, city councillor Simon Woolf posted a video to Facebook of Karori Medical Centre doctor Ros Wall pleading for people in the suburb to stop gathering for walks.
‘‘I would use the nickname ‘The Karori Walking Group’,’’ Wall said. ‘‘You cannot meet someone for a walk and still keep 2m away, you just can’t. It’s very, very important that we keep to our bubble.’’
Woolf said groups of between 10 and 20 people had been gathering for walks in recent days.
Wall also expressed concern about people walking dogs without leads in the area. ‘‘I’d say most people are being quite respectful and keeping their distance. However, there are people with dogs off leads, those dogs are interacting with other dogs, and I could see in certain people as I was coming across them today that there was anxiety among the people who had their dogs on leads and were doing their best to keep to within their own bubble.’’
She urged people to observe the physical distancing rules put in place by the Government.
Recycling allowed in rubbish bags
The city council is no longer collecting recycling, but is now allowing people to put their recycling in council rubbish bags if they need to. However, Foster said it was still preferable for people to clean and store their recyclables until collection resumed.
Any recycling collected by rubbish truck drivers, who are still operating, would end up at the landfill, Foster said.
Some people had also been approaching rubbish truck drivers and asking them to take their recycling, he said. ‘‘Our drivers are trying to carry out rubbish collection without risking their own health, so please be kind and don’t approach them at any time.’’
There had also been reports of people dumping rubbish along Wellington’s south coast, which Foster said was ‘‘never OK’’.