Taxpayers are forking out millions of dollars upgrading the 32 hotels and motels being used for managed isolation — but only half of Kiwis think the Government's getting border management right, according to new 1 NEWS-Colmar Brunton poll results.
The hotels weren't designed to be isolation facilities and figures obtained under the Official Information Act show upgrading them has already cost $4.5 million, and will end up costing $6.5 million.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says it's a "very, very large" sum, but "good value for money".
"Having CCTV available, for example, [is] very, very important to our case investigation process."
The money has gone on things like CCTV installation, alarms on doors, air filtration systems, expanding a boardroom to create a headquarters, and putting up partition walls to separate guests.
So why aren't the hotels paying?
"We have to pay one way or the other. We could ask the hotels to pay and then they would ultimately recoup those costs by charging us a higher rate," Hipkins says.
"So one way or the other, we just want it done. It's still a lot cheaper than building customised facilities."
The ACT Party is calling for a purpose-built facility in Ōhakea.
"There should be a plan to build a purpose-built facility because this won't be the last epidemic, I'm sorry to say," leader David Seymour says.
In the latest 1 NEWS-Colmar Brunton poll, Kiwis were asked: "How would you describe the management of our borders to prevent the spread of Covid-19?"
Nearly half say the Government is getting it about right, 46 per cent say it's not tough enough, while four per cent say it's too tough. The rest don't know.
"I'm aware that there are New Zealanders who would just like the border to be completely closed and for nobody to be allowed in," Hipkins says.
"In reality, that's not a practical option for us. We still need to trade with the rest of the world."
Seymour says they're failing everyone, "just in different ways".
"Some needn't be quarantined because they come from Covid-free places, others should be quarantined much more quickly because they are coming from Covid-free hotspots," he says.
Right now, if you are coming home to New Zealand and are planning to stay for more than three months, you don't have to pay the $3100 for managed isolation. Today, however, the Government announced it'll extend that to six months.
Hipkins says that'll ensure Kiwis coming home won't get a bill, but those on holiday will.
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