To help lighten the impact of coronavirus.

Waikato Regional Council has also moved to set up a temporary emergency committee to make fast decisions with the nation in lockdown.

The decisions were made at an emergency council meeting on Monday night after the Government announced a Level 3, now 4, response to Covid-19.

There are tough times ahead for the people of Thames Coromandel and the region. We need to be in tune with our tightening economy and the challenges our people are going to be facing across the Waikato.

We’ve shown that we can move quickly and respond with care and empathy in response to the Covid 19 crisis.

Rather than holding formal meetings, urgent council decisions have been made by an emergency committee, comprising of Chair Russ Rimmington, the chair of the relevant committee and chief executive Vaughan Payne by consensus.

Councillors are required under existing legislation to be physically present to constitute a quorum, and therefore cannot continue working virtually.

However, the Government has moved swiftly and the legislation has now been changed, so the next meeting of Council and its committees will allow all Councillors to vote through electronic meetings.

A full review of the council’s services is now under way.