Boundary creating headaches for Mercer

A Waikato road sits at two different alert levels after borders came into force at midnight, effectively splitting Auckland and Northland from the rest of the country.

Auckland will remain at level 4 for at least two more weeks, but everywhere south is now at level 3.

One of the boundaries cuts right in the middle of Koheroa Rd, in Mercer, leaving people on one side of a Mercer street in Auckland’s level 4, while the other side will move with Waikato to level 3 and benefit from the additional freedoms.

Waikato farmer Ashley Thomas’ property is near the Mercer Bridge so regardless of the level he is in, he must go through the checkpoint every time he leaves home.

Thomas has a farm on the western side with a run-off on the eastern side. Under the current rules both properties are in level 4 but due to the boundary being on the bridge they still have to go through the checkpoint.

During Auckland’s last lockdown it meant his farm manager was often having to wait in queues to go to work

All you want to do is go and move some cows and come back but you have to wait in a queue. Ashley Thomas

or grab a quad bike or dogs at least three times a day.

“All you want to do is go and move some cows and come back but you have to wait in a queue and go through a checkpoint each way.”

Thomas said personally it would make it easier if the boundary was reinstated at Bombay as it was during the first lockdown in March last year. He said that way they would be in level 3 and so would their closest supermarket in Po¯keno.

Waikato District Mayor Alan Sanson said putting a border in the middle of a road was ludicrous and created a huge headache for residents.

“A lot of farms are on both sides of the road. A lot of farmers travel to run-offs and other land they own,” he said.

Sanson said the boundary could only be changed by Cabinet issuing an additional health order and that wouldn’t happen so they were “stuck with it”.

His advice to residents was to carry their driver’s licence as well as a proof of address such as a bill.

Mangawhai resident Brett McDowall is concerned about the implication of the northern boundary, when Northland makes its anticipated move into level 3 on Friday.

Coal Hill Rd, where McDowall lives, has previously been on the Auckland and Northland boundary, which meant last lockdown he had to show proof of address to be allowed to go into Mangawhai rather than travel the 40km to Warkworth.

Kaipara Mayor Dr Jason Smith believed the original five-point regional boundary would be reinstated north of Wellsford and Northland would be kept together.

“Mangawhai and Kaiwaka represent half of the ratepayers of Kaipara District so to put them in an Auckland lockdown now at a different alert level . . . would be very challenging,” Smith said.