Covid19 response

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has made health and safety adjustments at our offices and properties to minimise the risk of Covid-19 infection to our visitors, members and staff.  

Opening hours and conditions for our offices and properties are in accordance with the conditions of the relevant Alert Level declared by the government.   We have contact tracing registers in place, and follow other governmental recommendations for physical distancing, deliveries, meetings, and for 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 


Are Heritage New Zealand offices and properties open?

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga offices are open subject to the conditions of the relevant Alert Level applicable to different parts of the country, including those related to group sizes, contact tracing and hygiene procedures.  Please arrange any on-site or face-to-face meetings with staff in advance.  

Properties in areas unaffected by Alert Level changes are open as usual, apart from those that normally close for the Winter season.  Check 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 is open. Deliveries may take longer due to the backlog of parcels moving around the country.


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 (some 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.