Pōhutukawa flowering on the banks of the Hātea River. Light projections will be all the way along the loop for everyone to enjoy. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Pōhutukawa flowering on the banks of the Hātea River. Light projections will be all the way along the loop for everyone to enjoy. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Last time we "painted the town (or District) red" we were hosting Rugby World Cup 2011 teams that had red in their national flags. It was a time of jubilation, unlimited worldwide travel, visitors from everywhere, competition and fun.
This time the colour red signifies something quite different for our District, our region. Under the Covid-19 Protection Framework it signifies that there is danger out there and we all need to do whatever we can to keep each other safe.
At Council our objective is to keep our community safe by following the rules needed to reduce the spread of Covid-19. I am grateful that Central Government has given all New Zealanders guidelines to follow to help us achieve this.
Following those guidelines does mean we've had to change the way we deliver some of our services, and some of the sacrifices have been hard to make. Where possible, we have done what we can to support safe gatherings and interaction, especially important at this time of year.
Making Christmas safe has been at the top of the list, and while we had to cancel many of our Christmas events to ensure public safety, we're delighted to be able to light up our Hātea Loop with the "Bright Lights in the City" event.
This can safely go ahead under the rules for red and orange if people wear masks and stay in their own bubbles, distanced from other groups of people on the Hātea Loop – Huarahi o the Whai.
Our services continue regardless of whether we are in a Covid situation or not, regardless of whether our customers are vaccinated or not. Photo / Tania Whyte
It's ironic that this event, under Covid's red traffic light, promises a rainbow-coloured extravaganza of light installations and light projections all the way along the loop. Free for everyone to enjoy it will be held between 6pm and 10pm over the six nights of 10, 11, 12 and 17, 18, 19 December. We have also installed lighting in some of the iconic trees in our parks, so be sure to look out for them too.
In recent years, we may have taken the wide range of events on offer a little bit for granted. Maybe now we are entering a time when events are fewer, but all the more appreciated for their rarity.
I hope that's a feeling whānau will take away from this - a simple time, doing a simple thing, walking together and sharing some innocent, heart-felt, light-inspired awe.
Covid conversations can sometimes be quirky. Several people have told me they expect a reduction in their rates to compensate for the things they think council is "not doing" as a result of Covid. I disagree.
Our services continue regardless of whether we are in a Covid situation or not, regardless of whether our customers are vaccinated or not. The roading and parks maintenance, water, sewerage system, consent and application processing, monitoring and planning for our District continue unabated. Council meetings continue.
Our offices and libraries remain open. Where Covid passes are required, we are developing contactless systems for those who don't have them. Many of our functions and services are available online and our team are very happy to help over the phone.
Change does come at a cost, but rest assured, our services will continue.
