Update 4 April 2022 | From Tuesday 5 April vaccine passes will not be needed at council sites and facilities. Masks, physical distancing and staying home if sick is still vital. Read more about our updated approach to vaccination here.
Elected members are no longer required to be vaccinated to work in our offices and meeting spaces.
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Original story:
Auckland Council has agreed vaccination guidelines for the Mayor, 20 councillors and 149 local board members around access to council offices and meeting spaces across the region.
To ensure the safety of all its staff, only those elected members who are fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine will be able to attend meetings or work in person.
The decision follows two weeks of consultation and the completion of a thorough risk assessment.
Elected members who are not vaccinated, or don’t want to disclose their vaccination status, are being asked to continue working remotely during periods where there is a risk of the virus circulating in the community.
The guidelines take effect from today, 15 December 2021, and will be reviewed in three months. They sit alongside the recently adopted council workforce vaccination policy. See more on that policy here.
Allowing elected members to perform their democratic and representative roles, while maintaining their health and safety and that of staff and the public, was a key consideration in the final decision.
Mayor Phil Goff says those who are unvaccinated or don’t want to disclose their vaccination status will be fully supported to work remotely and participate in all meetings and workshops online.
“This is about keeping everyone safe – our elected members, our staff, other people who work for the council and members of the public who need to come to our offices,” he says.
“The guidelines will be reviewed in line with changes to COVID-19 Protection Framework, but, for now, they provide an opportunity for all elected members to take a leadership role in ensuring we make wellbeing and safety the number one priority.”
Auckland Council Chief Executive Jim Stabback says council’s risk assessment reinforced that vaccination against COVID-19 is the best way to lower the risk of transmission and protect people from the virus.
The option of providing details of regular testing was raised, but the assessment supported medical advice that testing should be seen as a monitoring tool and does not reduce the consequences of infection or the risk of infection for the person being tested.
“As with our workforce vaccination policy, the risk posed by COVID-19 and the potential ways of managing it were the main factors in developing the guidelines for elected members,” says Mr Stabback.
“Although we are limiting access to council offices and meeting spaces, it is essential that those members who are unvaccinated can continue to perform their democratic role remotely.
“To do so, they will be provided with the tools, resources and support they need until such time as the guidelines change.
“As we think about how to best protect our people when our office buildings reopen, the staff policy and these elected member guidelines provide clarity, have health and safety at their core, and are in the best interests of everyone.”
Anyone who is unable to provide proof of vaccination will be supported to participate and provide input into meetings online via audiovisual link.
