Marco is a project manager at the Tararua District Council.
He says:
"I started working for the council 11 months ago. There are a few projects I am managing. I am a part of the planning team for the recovery of the drought and Covid-19 emergency response at the Tararua Council."
Marco has been working remotely from South Africa.
"I am working from 11pm to 6am South African time, so that I am working the same time as the office in NZ. I can Zoom into some of my meetings, but not all meetings can be dialled into. There is a lot of work that I need to take on but this work requires onsite duties and tasks which feels impossible to do while being stuck in a different country.
"My employer has been very helpful though. They have been very supportive with weekly check-ins, and giving me work that I can achieve while working remotely."
Marco has applied four times to immigration for an exemption which would allow them to return to New Zealand.
"We tried to apply for an exemption on our current visa, which would allow us to travel in a crisis, such as Covid-19, for humanitarian reasons or if one of us is classified as an essential worker which I am", says Marco. "Since we are on a working visa, and not permanent residents or NZ citizens we were not able to re-enter the country.
"So then we applied under humanitarian reasons, since our livelihoods are in NZ, and we have nothing in South Africa. However, our application was declined.
"We then applied under the essential worker exemption, since I am an essential worker for the council, project managing the Pahiatua water treatment plant and being a part of the recovery team for drought and Covid-19. Three times we have applied and all three times we have been declined.
"It has been really frustration with the lack of information as to why it was declined."
Meanwhile, their rental property sits untouched since their departure in March.
"We are still paying for our rental, and all our other bills. We have had no assistance or reprieve for our rent, and we are still paying for internet, electricity, and other bills coming in. Although we do not expect any special treatment, the fact that we are unable to use the facilities we are paying for while having to support our livelihoods in another country is becoming a financial burden.
"We are living like nomads here in South Africa. Jumping from family member to family member. We are living out of suitcases which is frustrating. We brought two weeks' worth of summer clothing and now we are just heading into the cold season here. We need to stock up on winter clothes.
"We have no hope or idea when we will be allowed back."
Their nine-year-old daughter Kiara-Leigh has been learning online
"This has been very challenging. She has not been able to Zoom into her classes since 11pm is too late to start online schooling. Instead, she communicates with emails and works remotely."
Younger siblings Donna, 2, and Gabriella, 3, attend Dannevirke Central Kindergarten.
"They do not understand what is going on. They just know that we aren't allowed to go home yet. The little ones realise there is a change but they are oblivious to what is going on around them. Gabriella keeps asking, 'Am I going to see my friends at kindy tomorrow?'
"All in all, it has been a very crappy experience. We just really want to come home."
Tararua District Council CEO Blair King says Marco is employed on a five-year contract as he has skills the council needs.
The council applied to the Department of Internal Affairs to have him and his family readmitted to New Zealand on the basis of Marco supplying an essential service but was rejected.
The TDC is continuing to negotiate and hopes to have them back as soon as possible.
