Heart of the City was expecting to see a much stronger roadmap to lead Auckland’s recovery from 29 weeks of restrictions since the start of 2020.

The new rules announced today are confusing and will be a slow, painful path for many and more businesses will struggle to survive.

Viv Beck, Chief Executive of Heart of the City says “We appreciate the need to take care with the health response given the slow approach to vaccinations. However, better balance with the economic response is imperative. Wellington seems to judge its approach to Auckland by macro-economic indicators which are missing a key part of the picture”.

“We are lurching from one week to another without giving any certainty to businesses – sensible rules at the border, guidelines for business to underpin vaccination decisions, and how we will support a strong trading period in the lead up to Christmas.”

Today, Heart of the City has joined with ten other business groups to call for certainty with the financial support that lies ahead in Level 2. Beck says that “Our businesses are doing everything they can to survive but they cannot operate on thin air. The wage subsidy announced for the next few weeks is welcome, but businesses need clarity for a longer period, including confirmation of the wage subsidy under a Level 2 scenario, and the resurgence payment needs to be confirmed weekly to cover a component of fixed costs.”

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