Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult has publicly denounced the actions of an Auckland-based couple who flew to their Wānaka holiday home, despite a strict boundary around the locked-down super city only allowing essential travel.

“It’s astounding that this couple has felt they had the right to put each and every one in our district’s communities at risk during a global pandemic so they could partake in skiing. Everyone has been working hard, many to the detriment of their financial and mental wellbeing, to do their bit to help stamp out COVID-19 and this highly infectious Delta strain. It’s simply not acceptable that a handful of people continue to flout the restrictions and think they do not apply to them. I ask those few to think of the risk they are placing on others and the risk they place on New Zealand being able to return to some sort of normality soon,” said Mayor Boult.

“I understand that the couple has now been granted an exemption to travel back home across the essential travel boundary after their unauthorised visit to our district. The Police have been very clear publicly in their intentions to take the matter further and I trust that they will address this appropriately.”

“I know many in our district, and particularly around Wānaka, will be concerned at the risk this couple may have introduced to the community. Although I am not at liberty to go into detail, after discussion with central government health officials, I am able to say that I have no ongoing concerns for the health of folk in our district. I take comfort in that reassurance and hope that the people of Wānaka can too.”

“Please remember to do your bit and follow the rules for whatever restriction level we are in nationally and locally, and help the effort to stamp out COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand,” added Mayor Boult.

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