'This isn't going to be easy': Mayors respond lockdown announcement

Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins has urged people to stay connected as much as possible, but warned "we can't be under any illusions, this isn't going to be easy''.

Mr Hawkins asked people to be kind to each other, and to check in on elderly friends, family and neighbours in particular.

• DCC facilities close in wake of Govt move

"This is going to be incredibly difficult, once the initial shock wears off,'' he said.

Mr Hawkins said all essential council services, such as rubbish collection and water infrastructure, would continue during the lockdown period.

He was still trying to clarify which council staff would be considered "essential'' under the Government's new criteria.

Given the current economic situation, he confirmed he had asked council chief executive Dr Sue Bidrose to consider taking a salary cut.

She had agreed, and would reduce her salary by 15% for the next six months. It would then be reviewed after that period.

Members of the council's executive team had also agreed to a salary cut, he said.

Central Otago District Mayor Tim Cadogan said while the Government's announcement was not unexpected it had come as a shock.

"We've got 48 hours to get ourselves sorted and then we're going home for a month, that's all there is to it."

Central Otago was in as good a shape as anywhere in the world to face this challenge, New Zealand was among among the last to be affected by the virus and so had time to learn from others, he said.

"We will get through this."

In terms of economic impact, he said lockdown moves would hurt but that was nothing compared to the economic pain of tens of thousands of lives lost worldwide.
Shutting all but essential services would avoid something like that happening here, he said.

In a statement the Central Otago District Council said effective immediately, and until further notice, it had shut all our public facing facilities. These closures included all council offices, service centres, i-SITEs, libraries, pools, playgrounds and community halls.

"Over the next 48 hours as we transition to Level 4 we will be considering the essential services we provide and how we can continue to deliver these."