COVID19 response

Over the next two weeks, our offices and most properties are starting to reopen to visitors following the announcement by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, that the country is now at Alert Level 2.  We have contact tracing registers in place, and applying other governmental recommendations for physical distancing, deliveries and other personal and workplace hygiene.

The advice provided by the Ministry of Health is the best way for our community to protect ourselves.

For up-to-date information and advice on the pandemic please visit 

• the Ministry of Health website www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus
• the official Government website Unite against COVID-19 https://covid19.govt.nz, or
• call the free helpline 0800 779 997 (8am-1am, 7 days)
• Healthline on 0800 358 5453 especially if you have symptoms.

Heritage New Zealand office and property reopening

All Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga offices are open to the public subject to contact tracing and hygiene procedures.  Please arrange any on-site or face-to-face meetings with staff in advance.  

The properties that Heritage New Zealand cares for are starting to reopen from Wednesday 27 May.  Opening will be rolled out over the next two-three weeks as processes are put in place to protect you and our staff.  Some will remain closed as is normal for the Winter season.  Check below or directly with the property you may wish to visit before you go. 

We are open for enquiries regarding future venue hire for your special occasions.

The Online Shop has reopened. Deliveries may take longer due to the backlog of parcels moving around the country.

Looking after our people... and you

Contact tracing registers, additional cleaning and hygiene procedures, monitoring of group sizes and other governmental advice regarding COVID-19 response applies.  We ask you to be patient if some services may not be available as promptly as usual.  We appreciate your understanding - the health of all of us continues to be the most important thing right now. 

Properties now open

Northland

Honey House Cafe, Kerikeri Mission. Wednesday - Monday, 9am - 3pm until October.

Otago

Ophir Post Office, Ophir.  Monday to Friday 9am-12 midday for postal services only.

National State of Emergency and Archaeological Authorities

The Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014 makes it unlawful for any person to modify or destroy, or cause to be modified or destroyed, the whole or any part of an archaeological site without the prior authority of Heritage New Zealand.  

Our archaeologists and pouarahi are working remotely and the authority process is running as normal at present. Currently we are in 'working days' as defined by the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014.  Read more about how the normal authority process is working under lockdown.

When a civil defence, local or national state of emergency is notified such as has occurred with the national COVID-19 response, a simplified and streamlined process - the Emergency Archaeological Authority process - may apply to quickly consider work that affects archaeological sites under Subpart 3 Emergency Authorities, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014. 

COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020

If you believe that an emergency archaeological authority is needed, please first discuss the circumstances for which the emergency authority is needed with either:

• Vanessa Tanner, Manager Archaeology  phone 027 6089537, or
• Frank van der Heijden, Senior Archaeologist  027 6889741.

Please note the emergency process will be available ONLY for work needed on archaeological sites to enable essential businesses to continue to be provided or maintained.   Please see www.covid19.govt.nz

Find out more about the emergency archaeological authority process during the COVID-19 response.

Membership administration

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga members are our financial and moral lifeblood and your support of our work through membership and donations is crucial.  Now, more than ever, we need your support and understanding.

As you might expect, the processing plus delivery time for standard membership (new and renewing), magazine-only subscriptions and donations at this time is impacted by the country's response to COVID-19 and is a little slower than usual.  We are able to manage most administrative processes associated with our membership programme although mail delivery is impacted by the backlog of mail being cleared by postal and courier services.   

Soft copies of many of our publications are available in the Resources section of our website. 

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