Invercargill City Council has amended the requirement for COVID-19 vaccination passes at some of its facilities and services.

Vaccination passes will be required to access the Invercargill City Libraries and Archives, Splash Palace, He Waka Tuia and the Council Chambers from Monday 13 December.

The requirement for vaccination passes at parts of the Civic Theatre and Rugby Park remain in place.

The Civic Administration Building ground floor customer service area, Bluff service centre and library, Bluff Municipal Chambers and Animal Care Facility will not require vaccination passes.

Invercargill moved to the Orange alert level on Friday 3 December under the new COVID-19 traffic light protection framework, which meant the introduction of vaccination passes in some places and facilities.

At that time, Council did not require vaccination certificates at the majority of facilities, however, elected members and mana whenua appointees discussed and voted on the issue at an extraordinary Performance, Policy and Partnerships meeting on Tuesday 7 December.

Invercargill City Council Chief Executive Clare Hadley said elected members receive feedback from the community and it was appropriate that they were involved in the decision making regarding vaccination passes.

“We work in partnership with our elected members and mana whenua appointees when making decisions that affect our community,” she said.

“We know this is a challenging and evolving issue, and the views from Councillors are reflective of the difficult balance that needs to be achieved to ensure we can provide the most benefit to our community across all of our services.

“We thank the community for their patience and understanding. We are confident they will work with us as we transition to this new stage in which we will be asking for vaccination passes.”

Varying levels of health and safety measures will remain in place in all Council facilities, she said.

For more information on Invercargill City Council’s COVID-19 response and vaccination pass requirements, please visit: icc.govt.nz/covid

For information on how to get your vaccination certificate, please visit:
covid19.govt.nz/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccination-certificates/my-vaccine-pass

For information on the traffic light alert system, please visit:
covid19.govt.nz/alert-levels-and-updates/covid-19-protection-framework

To book in to receive your free COVID-19 vaccine, please call your GP, call 0800 28 29 26 or visit bookmyvaccine.covid19.health.nz