Ref: SR2207102
Civic House, 110 Trafalgar Street
PO Box 645, Nelson 7040, New Zealand
8 March 2022
P (03) 546 0200
E [email address]
nelson.govt.nz
Regan Kendrick
Via: FYI.org website
Dear Regan
OFFICIAL INFORMATION REQUEST FOR VACCINE PASS INFORMATION
I refer to your official information request dated 19 February 2022:
Dear Nelson City
How many staff on an average day across your facilities are assigned to the task of checking
vaccine passes?
what has been the extra cost of this? and/or time redirected from other duties?
The information you requested is enclosed below.
Nelson City Council currently has vaccine pass requirements in place for its libraries, swimming
pools and the Brook Camp.
Passes are checked on booking and at payment for Brook Camp – no extra resource is required
for this. Similarly, passes are checked on entry to the pools and no extra resource or
redirection of duties has been required for this.
Nelson has three libraries. No additional staffing at Stoke Library or Nightingale Library has
been required for the task of checking passes.
The Elma Turner Library allocates one person to check vaccine passes during opening hours
(52hrs per week). Over the summer period when the requirement was first put in place, Street
Ambassadors were organised to assist library staff with checking passes and any more
challenging interactions, as well as aiding customers to download their vaccine pass. They also
provided weekend cover.
The cost for this was $21,473 excluding GST, which has been covered in existing library
budgets using savings in other areas.
Internal Document ID:A2852697
Where library staff were involved in checking passes, for the most part they were also able to
complete other work at the front desk; it has been rare that a staff member was required to be
fully pulled off general library duties.
At particularly busy times extra cover was occasionally required from library staff – this would
equate to approximately 100 hours since the vaccine pass requirement was introduced up to
the end of February. This cost is covered though existing staff budgets.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this response.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
Freephone 0800 802 602.
If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact [email address].
Yours sincerely
Devorah Nicuarta-Smith
Manager Governance and Support Services
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