The COVID-19 Public Health Order allows for building, construction, and maintenance services required for one or both of the following:
- to address immediate risks to health and safety
- nationally important infrastructure
Nationally important infrastructure means infrastructure that enables or supports supply chains that are needed for one or both of the following:
- to provide for the current needs of people and communities
- to enable or support the recovery of the whole or any part of New Zealand from the effects of COVID-19.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is working on further guidance on each of these points, and we will update members when this is available.
The Government has also issued updated requirements around the use of masks under Alert Level 4. Face coverings are now mandatory for most public places. All people at businesses and services operating at Alert Level 4 will need to wear a face covering.
Support available
Wage Subsidy Scheme
The Government has announced that a wage subsidy will be available to businesses impacted by New Zealand moving to COVID-19 Alert Level 4 on 17 August 2021.
It will be available to all New Zealand businesses and self-employed people that meet eligibility criteria. The COVID-19 Wage Subsidy August 2021 is a payment for employers to keep paying staff and protect jobs.
Applications will be open from 9am on Friday 20 August 2021 for two weeks. You can register for an email update using the Wage Subsidy enquiry form.
COVID-19 Resurgence Support Payment (RSP)
The Resurgence Support Payment (RSP) is a payment to help support viable and ongoing businesses or organisations due to a COVID-19 alert level increase to level 2 or higher. If your business or organisation is facing a reduction in revenue due to an alert level increase, you may be eligible for the RSP.
Applications for the alert level increase announced on 17 August will open at 8am on 24 August.
How the RSP works
A business or organisation must have experienced at least a 30% drop in revenue or a 30% decline in capital-raising ability over a 7-day period, due to the increased COVID-19 alert level.
Once activated any business in New Zealand that has experienced a 30% drop in revenue or capital raising ability over a 7 day period as a result of the alert level increase would be eligible (subject to all other criteria being met).
How much eligible businesses and organisations can apply for
When the RSP is activated, eligible businesses and organisations can apply to receive the lesser of:
- $1,500 plus $400 per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee, up to a maximum of 50 FTEs
- four times (4x) the actual revenue decline experienced by the applicant.
It’s possible that the Government could decide to activate the RSP multiple times if there are multiple alert level increases from level 1. Businesses and organisations can apply for the RSP each time it’s activated, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.
Further information on the RSP can be found here.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at claire.edmondson@infrastructure.org.nz or on 021 272 7879.
Ngā mihi maioha
Claire Edmondson
General Manager