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March 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic) | Read a plain text version of this newsletter
Message from the Registrar-General
Tēnā koe – hello.
Our main focus during this time is keeping our people, customers and the wider community healthy.
Please follow the advice from the government and Ministry of Health:
Information about COVID-19 from the Ministry of Health
Government advice about COVID-19 on Govt.nz
Jeff Montgomery,
General Manager and Registrar-General;
Services and Access
Please also continue to look out for each other, show support and manaakitanga to your colleagues, and remember that we’re #strongertogethersaferapart.
Kia pai tō rā (Have a good day)
Jeff
Measures in place during COVID-19 pandemic
New citizens don't need to attend a ceremony
As per the emails from Jeremy Williams last week, the Minister of Internal Affairs has agreed in the interests of public health, to temporarily waive the requirement for new citizens to attend citizenship ceremonies.
Certificates will be sent directly to new citizens
Citizenship certificates will be sent by courier to applicants who are affected by the cancellation of citizenship ceremonies or who are unable to attend a ceremony.
Reimbursement of costs for local authorities
Where invites have already been sent out, local authorities will be compensated as per usual.
Welcoming new citizens
With ceremonies cancelled, we know that many local authorities want to arrange a different way to celebrate their new citizens.
We will be providing you with the contact details of new citizens in your authority so you can welcome them in an appropriate way.
As no formalities are required, you have the flexibility to work out what's best for your community.
We are interested to hear the ideas you have for this - email us at CitizenshipCeremonies@dia.govt.nz.
Requests for regional ceremony dates
We occasionally receive Official Information Act requests for the dates of upcoming citizenship ceremonies in a particular area.
Upon recent advice from a council, we have reviewed our approach to releasing ceremony information. We are now withholding requests for information under section 6(d) of the Official Information Act 1982; the making available of that information would be likely to endanger the safety of any person.
If your council receives a request for citizenship ceremony dates you may wish to consider withholding the official information on this ground. This is at the discretion of each council. Don't transfer these requests to the Department of Internal Affairs.
If you believe the person requesting the information may be asking about their own citizenship ceremony, for example to change to a different ceremony date, advise them to contact CitizenshipCeremonies@dia.govt.nz.
Queenstown Lakes District Council: 3 March
Christchurch City Council: Waitangi Day
Kawerau District Council: 18 February
The council say that "Sitting on the far right of the front row is our local Iwi Kaumatua who did a welcome in Maori for our new citizens and their friends and family. We also had students of Tarawera High School senior choir attend and lead the National Anthem for us. Each citizen was presented with a button hole and/or flower spray, framed certificate of citizenship and a NZ Native plant which they either get to take and plant at their homes or we can plant it on their behalf in one of our reserves. Most chose to take theirs with them."
Private ceremony
Balkinder Kaur with J.P: Parminder Singh in Auckland.
The Minister had agreed that on this particular occasion it could be a private ceremony, otherwise the oath or affirmation would, prior to the pandemic, be taken or made at a public citizenship ceremony.
