PINZ COVID-19 MEMBER UPDATE #4:
25 March, 2020
Dear Members of the Property Institute of New Zealand,
I hope you and your family are staying safe and secure in these changing times.
We have been receiving many inquiries about the status of the work we do and whether or not this can be regarded as an ‘essential service’.
For those of us providing or facilitating necessities such as power, phone, sanitation, sewerage services and shelter you may well be deemed essential services.
For those of you contracting on behalf of a Government prescribed essential service with their express authorisation then you may technically be an essential service.
However, the Property Institute is, like most organisations at this point in time, unable to give you a clear legal definition of who really qualifies and what it means.
If you are uncertain we suggest you contact MBIE's hotline: 0508 377 388 or email essential@mbie.govt.nz.
None of this really alters our advice. Our view is that you should follow the Prime Minister’s directive to STAY AT HOME.
Yes, this is likely to be painful for many of us, but there is a greater public good and need.
If you’re nervous about what this means for you, then we would encourage you to explore the options available in the Government’s business and wage relief packages.
If you’re still in any doubt, the commercial activity we usually undertake is on hold for at least the next four weeks unless you can work online – after that will be new territory for us all.
In our view, the possible ‘technical exemptions’ for certain classes of Property Professionals should in no way be construed as a suggestion that your business can continue as normal. It simply cannot.
Our best advice is to sit tight, follow the Government health advice on isolation, keep your families safe and prepare for the recovery when it comes.
We have a number of initiatives in train to keep you informed and ahead of the game. Your national support team has already relocated to remote locations and been trialing new software and new ways of doing things in what is to become a new normal.
Presenters with a strong understanding of the current situation are signing up to help us provide relevant and compelling online education which helps you get through.
We are in this together.
We are in a unique position, but now is not the time to be risking your safety with inspections or on-site visits for anything that’s not a life necessity.
Each of you (or your employers) will have different health and safety protocols, but none of them over-ride the need for us all to follow the restrictions and limit face-to-face contact with others.
It’s not worth the risk.
Best Wishes
Luke van den Broek
President
Property Institute of New Zealand
Viv Gurrey
Chief Executive Officer
Property Institute of New Zealand
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