Essential Turf Maintenance Exemption Request Granted - Thursday 9th 4.00pm

Golf Club and Facility Guidance (COVID-19)
Success - Essential Turf Maintenance Exemption Request Granted

The government has decided to accept our application for exemption for essential golf course maintenance. We understand this caused much angst and frustration throughout the sector however we can now head into the Easter weekend with some comfort.

Sports and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson said the Government had allowed urgent maintenance to go ahead but only after new guidelines were issued. This would happen after Easter.

"The Government has agreed that urgent upkeep and maintenance of biological assets will be able to go ahead after the Easter Weekend.

"This includes non-plantation nurseries, stadia turf, and golf and bowling club turf maintenance," he said.

Robertson said he understood "the implications if the maintenance does not occur regularly, including for community organisations, which is why we have moved quickly on these decisions".

“However I ask those wanting to undertake the maintenance to wait until the criteria has been published – we need to ensure there are clear guidelines for the health and safety of the community and turf management workers. There will be clear restrictions on any activity that is allowed,” Minister Robertson said.

“We have been making good progress in our fight against COVID-19, but we are still at Alert Level 4 and we cannot be complacent and risk undoing the excellent progress we have made so far.

“So I reiterate to all those who are wanting to undertake the maintenance – please do not do so until the guidance has been issued. Please stay home this long weekend but you can start to plan and prepare for urgent maintenance to get underway soon,” Grant Robertson said.

We will be in touch with you all after the guidelines have been completed.

Kind regards,

Dean Murphy
Chief Executive
New Zealand Golf