The Ashburton District Council is introducing My Vaccine Pass requirements for the Ashburton Public Library, Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum, Council Chambers, Administration Building, and the Mt Hutt Memorial Hall.

My Vaccine Pass requirements will apply while the Ashburton District is at Orange and Red levels of the Covid Protection Framework.

My Vaccine Pass will not be needed at the Ashburton Domain office and yard, camping grounds at Rangitata, Hakatere and Mt Somers, resource recovery parks and transfer stations, community and memorial halls (other than Mt Hutt Memorial Hall), outdoor community swimming pools on council land (Tinwald, Ruapuna, Rakaia, Hinds, Mayfield and Mt Somers), parks and reserves, cemeteries, playgrounds, public toilets, unstaffed camping grounds, the Ashburton Airport, and for Elderly Persons Housing.

Council will work with the operator of the Ashburton Holiday Park, at Tinwald, to introduce My Vaccine Pass there.

Ashburton District Mayor Neil Brown said Council Chief Executive Hamish Riach had been delegated the authority to review and possibly remove the need for My Vaccine Pass requirements should the Ashburton District move to Green level.

"Clubs operating members-only clubrooms or facilities on Council land will also have the discretion to introduce My Vaccine Pass or not.

“A key aspect of the new covid protection framework is that higher levels of vaccination will minimise the impact of the virus and its spread.

"Councils all over New Zealand have been making decisions on My Vaccine Pass introduction for Council facilities, and we have adopted a pragmatic health first approach.”

My Vaccine Pass has been needed at Council’s EA Networks Centre since 3 December to enable the facility to operate under Government vaccine mandates for gym and café operators. There has been widespread acceptance of My Vaccine Pass by those using the recreation facility since its implementation.

Mayor Brown said wherever My Vaccine Pass is in place, anyone who visits or works within the facility must be vaccinated and show evidence of their My Vaccine Pass.

"This will mean some in our community may not be able to physically access some Council facilities, but we will be looking at alternative ways of ensuring some access for those without My Vaccine Pass to services wherever we can, for example, the Click and Collect service at the Library.

"But as of 8 December, 95 per cent of the eligible population in our district has received their first dose of the vaccine and 91 per cent their second, so a high number of people will have normal access to Council services by using My Vaccine Pass.

“While we respect the right of each person in our district to make a choice about vaccination, we believe the change of levels of service for the minority does not outweigh the public health benefits of vaccination for the majority of the community.”

Chief Executive Hamish Riach said the timing of the introduction of My Vaccine Pass at Council facilities would be announced very shortly.

He also noted that staff had been consulted in relation to Mandatory Vaccinations for staff working right across all Council facilities and functions. Decisions in relation to this aspect of Covid protection and preparedness were still being worked through.