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Friday, 11 March 2022

Council working hard to manage staff absences and maintain service levels

QLDC continues to adapt its staffing and work arrangements to maintain service levels as close to normal as possible.

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Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is continuing to adapt its staffing and work arrangements to maintain service levels as close to normal as possible in the face of the local impacts of COVID-19.

QLDC Chief Executive Mike Theelen said the current outbreak was naturally putting a strain on different in-house teams, especially community services like sport and recreation, libraries and parks, and also contractors who carry out Council services like water leaks, rubbish collection and recycling.

“Like any other employer right now, we are seeing staff absences either because our people have contracted the virus or are isolating as household contacts. We all have flatmates, friends and dependents who are being affected in different ways, including staff members with kids at local schools,” he said.

“At the moment, the public won’t see much change and we hope that will continue. But it’s possible that we may need to make further changes that may be more visible over the next few weeks until we’re well over the peak of the outbreak. This may include reduced opening hours, changed access to different facilities at different times, and reduced frequency of some regular services.”

“The situation changes every day and I would advise people to refer to our website and Facebook pages for the latest information. Where we can we’ll also update those affected directly. For example, Council’s Sport and Recreation and Libraries teams have regular communication with their members.”

Mr Theelen reiterated that Council’s customer service offices at Gorge Road, Queenstown and Ardmore Street, Wānaka currently remain open to everyone to ensure the whole community has access to a range of in-person services should they need that option.

“We also have a range of services that are available online or via telephone and I would encourage people to use these methods to reduce the risk of community transmission of COVID-19 whenever possible. The Snap, Send, Solve mobile app is a great way to send in non-urgent ‘fix it’ requests,” he said.

“Our business continuity planning team drawn from across the whole organisation has been working since the start of the global pandemic to mitigate its effects on business as usual. I would like to thank each and every one of our employees and contractors for their resilience and flexibility in the face of unprecedented pressure, and also the wider community for their patience and kindness.”

ENDS|KUA MUTU.

Media contact: communications@qldc.govt.nz or call 03 441 1802.

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