Say thanks when you fill the jug
It’s no easy task to keep essential council services going, write Dave Cull and Phil Wilson.
We’re now into week two of the lockdown and, as you will have observed, street lights are still turning on at night, water is still coming out of the taps, toilets are still flushing, rubbish is being collected, buses are running for essential workers, and burials and cremations are still taking place.
This is no small undertaking, and it’s made possible by councils around the country, which have stripped down to skeleton staff, getting on with providing the essential, lifeline services that mean millions of New Zealanders can comfortably live under lockdown.
When we say ‘‘lifeline’’ services, they’re exactly that – services that are essential to the health of every household.
Not only that, but where issues are arising, as they do, fixes are being made. Pipes and sewer filters clogged with wet wipes are causing no end of issues, but are being unblocked, and the Local Government Covid-19 Response Unit has successfully lobbied to have legislation passed that allows councils to meet, like everyone else, through Zoom or Skype.
Civil Defence and Emergency Management groups are being stood up across the country to ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable people are being met, and that we are protecting those most at risk from infection.
We’re also working hard behind the scenes to ensure we’re tightening our belts where we can, to keep rates low as the economy goes through a sharp contraction, while also ensuring we’re in the best position to aid the economic recovery efforts when we come out of lockdown.
As the respective presidents of Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) and the NZ Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM), we’re extremely pleased with the way the entire local government family have pulled together in this crisis. Our essential staff on the ground have really hung tough over the past two weeks, as the services they operate face increased use.
A big part of that effort is down to the unity they have shown. The Local Government Covid-19 Response Unit has worked to share knowledge and resources between councils, so that no community is left behind.
But we have to be honest: there will be teething issues. Some rubbish collections might be late, and recycling in many places will have to wait until after the lockdown for collection.
Pipes will get blocked, roads will need patching, and light fuses will blow. But councils are rising to the challenge of finding solutions to these issues.
A nod also has to be given to the central government response. The Department of Internal Affairs has ably led and hosted the Response Unit, and has lent its considerable resources to SOLGM and LGNZ. We’re also grateful to the National Emergency Management Agency’s role in the response unit..
So when you fill the jug or flush the toilet each morning, or when your rubbish gets picked up each week, it means that somewhere a range of local government workers are out there getting it done, and we’re committed to be there when you need us, crisis or no crisis.