The Auckland region moved to Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm on Tuesday, September 21.
Building, construction and maintenance services can restart in Alert Level 3. Building and resource consenting services (for example, building inspections and geotechnical inspections) can also commence.
Building and construction at Alert Level 3
At Alert Level 3, everybody who can work from home should do so, and businesses that require close physical contact cannot open.
Where working remotely is not possible, on-site work is permitted only if appropriate health and safety and physical distancing measures are in place for workers and building occupants.
At Alert Level 3, employees must stay one metre apart on site. Employees can go into someone’s home to work if they are a tradesperson, but they should stay two metres apart from everyone in the home.
For more information on what work can be carried out at Alert Level 3 and how, visit these sites below:
• Operating at Alert Level 3 — Building Performance
• Working in people’s homes at Alert Level 3 — covid19.govt.nz
• Alert Level 3 operating protocols — CHASNZ
• Working safely at Alert Level 3 — WorkSafe
• BeforeUdig protocols for any ground work — beforeUdig
Business travel for building and construction at Alert Level 3
Business or work travel across the Alert Level boundary is still strictly limited to help reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreading across New Zealand.
You may only travel across the Alert Level boundary if that travel is permitted. Employers must make sure workers have acceptable evidence to cross the boundary.
If your business can operate at Alert Level 3, it’s not automatically assumed that you or your workforce can cross the boundary. You will need to apply for permitted business travel, or have evidence that your reason for travel is permitted.
The permitted reasons for travelling across the Alert Level 3 and 2 boundary for construction remain the same as for the Alert Level 4 and 2 boundary.
There are two main reasons that you can be granted a business travel document in the construction area:
• Your business or service can operate at Alert Level 3 and meets the criteria for permitted travel under Schedule 5 of the Public Health Order.
• You meet the grounds for an exemption from the conditions of the Public Health Order.
Before applying, consider whether you have workforce in the area you are considering travelling to that you could draw upon to avoid unnecessary travel across an Alert Level boundary.
If this is not possible, you must consider restricting the number of staff needed for Alert Level boundary travel and the number of times travel across the boundary is required.
MBIE staff processing Business Travel Request applications need detailed information about each travel request so they can assess the need for travel against the Health Order, and make recommendations to the Director-General of Health.
If your business does not meet the criteria for travel, please do not apply as this may cause unnecessary delays for those who have applied who do meet the criteria.
Please note, anybody travelling over the Alert Level boundary will be required to have evidence of a test taken within the seven days before crossing the boundary.
For more information on these processes and to apply, visit the MBIE’s Building Performance web site:
• Business travel for building and construction – Building Performance
