Today I am launching a petition giving South Islanders the opportunity to ask the New Zealand Government to introduce a temporary border between the North and South Islands – giving us more time to get our South Island vaccination rate closer to 90%. It is only a matter of time before Covid reaches the South Island and we need more time to prepare.

I hope this petition attracts thousands of signatures, giving the government confidence to create this temporary border.

Scientific and medical experts are calling for tougher border restrictions for the South Island and we must listen to what they have to say.

“It would be crazy to let it (Covid) into the South Island. It’s a no-brainer when there are no leaky borders where people can sneak across.”
- Professor Nick Wilson, Professor of Public Health, University of Otago

“You need a hard border. No-one (comes) into the South Island without a rapid test at that border, and no-one (is allowed) in without being double vaccinated.”
- Professor Rod Jackson, Professor of Epidemiology, University of Auckland.

We know some people won’t want to support this due to the inconvenience it could cause. But we need to delay unnecessary travel between the islands - this will help to keep the South Island Covid free while we focus on vaccinations.

I encourage everyone to participate in the Government’s ‘Super Saturday’ vaccination push this coming Saturday (16 October), where clinics all over the country will be open all day and into the evening.  I believe South Islanders will rise to the challenge of protecting our communities in the face of this very real threat.  If we are not doing it for ourselves, we are doing it for the most vulnerable members of our communities.

Please sign the petition. The more of us who are fully vaccinated, the more protection we will all have.

Media Contact:
Erin Jamieson
021 743 237
erin@conv.co.nz