COVID-19 Customer updates

New Zealand

Our world is facing an unprecedented time with the continued spread of COVID-19, LINX Cargo Care Group and our New Zealand based businesses are following the situation closely and taking proactive and responsive action to ensure we look after our people and maintain our critical service delivery across the country. Our priority, as always, remains the wellbeing of our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate.

To assist you in keeping up to date with our response to COVID-19 please find below our official Group customer updates and specific business information for C3 and Pedersen Group.

Additionally, for current information and updates on the overall pandemic status in Australia and across the globe please visit the following sites:

New Zealand Government

Tell us what you think

Update Categories

Latest updates - All customers

As the Australian and New Zealand Governments put further measures in place to stem the rising spread of COVID-19, our freight and logistics services continue to operate.

Supply chain services are now more important than ever, as we help make essential goods and cargo accessible to communities across Australia and New Zealand and keep our economies moving.

Freight and logistics remains an essential service

Throughout the recent announcements, freight and logistics has continued to be referred to by all governments as an essential industry and one that will help Australia and New Zealand get through the COVID-19 crisis.

To maintain business continuity and continue to deliver to our customers throughout the evolving pandemic, the LINX Cargo Care Group Senior Leadership Team and Pandemic Management Team are working with our management teams to implement business continuity plans and specific actions which will ensure we can quickly adapt to the changing situation for our customers.

We understand your business and industry circumstances are also evolving and changing weekly, if not daily, and we will continue to be flexible and responsive, while implementing measures and considered actions that meets your needs, and complies with Government and health authorities advice and protocols.

Employee health and wellbeing

The recent announcements of further restrictions across non-essential services, including strict new social distance measures and closures has definitely changed everyday life as we know it. No doubt, these measures have directly impacted your family, friends or many people you know who work in those industries. As addressed, these measures are for the benefit of all citizens and aimed at slowing the virus and saving lives.

In our workplaces, this means we are working with our front line staff to find ways to minimise exposure through increased hygiene and modified work practices.

You will soon hear directly from our senior management teams who will provide more detail on the implemented priority actions for each of our companies. These will ensure full compliance with government directions and employee management requirements for the safe continuation of your service, while ensuring minimal service disruptions and potential virus spread.

Keeping you informed

We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic globally and locally and keep you regularly updated on our response as we partner together through the difficult times ahead.

As an organisation, we are operating in unprecedented times and will be forced to make difficult decisions and appropriate adjustments while navigating the current climate. We look forward to trying new things together and doing things differently during this time to ensure we remain sustainable for the long-term, for our valued customers and people.

The Prime Minister of Australia last night referred to those working at the front lines as essential to our country defeating the spread of COVID-19. Freight and logistics has never been more important to Australia and New Zealand’s social and economic health. We are on the front line of this crisis, and I thank you in advance for your support.

Our world is facing an unprecedented time with the continued spread of COVID-19. LINX Cargo Care Group, and our five businesses Autocare Services, C3, LINX, Pedersen Group and GeelongPort, extend our thoughts to those who have been impacted so far.

The Australian supply chain and logistics industry continues to face evolving challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and our Group is taking proactive and responsive action to ensure we look after our people and maintain our critical service delivery across the country. Our priority, as always, remains the wellbeing of our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate.

We have implemented our Group Pandemic Management Plan, which aligns and complies with current Federal and State Government directions:

We’ve increased our general preventative measures to ensure the health and wellbeing of our employees and minimise community spread, including international and domestic travel restrictions until further notice.
Many of our office-based employees are now working from home and we continue to work through options to encourage and facilitate others to do so, while we ensure adequate support for our frontline workforce who are providing your essential services.
During the global pandemic, we will facilitate meetings with you over the phone or by video conference so you can maintain contact with our teams, while at the same time limiting unnecessary person-to-person contact.

Our business continuity plans are in place to ensure we continue to provide services during the pandemic, and we are developing specific operations plans to ensure we uphold our service delivery to you through this difficult period. Importantly, we aim for flexibility and responsiveness in our interactions with you as we know your circumstances, and those of the wider industry and global impacts, require reactions and measures that can be adjusted on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

We are closely monitoring the external environment and following The industries we work in continue to face evolving challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and our Group is taking proactive and responsive action to ensure we look after our people and maintain our critical service delivery across the country. Our priority, as always, remains the wellbeing of our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate.

We have implemented our Group Pandemic Management Plan, in support of government health agency advice:

We’ve increased our general preventative measures to ensure the health and wellbeing of our employees and minimise community spread, including international and domestic travel restrictions until further notice.
Those office-based employees who can work from home will be encouraged to do so, while we ensure adequate support for our frontline workforce who are providing your essential services.
During the global pandemic, we will facilitate meetings with you over the phone or by video conference so you can maintain contact with our teams, while at the same time limiting unnecessary person-to-person contact.

Contact

If you have any queries or questions, please do not hesitate to contact your relevant Account Manager.

C3

As you aware, New Zealand Government directives are changing frequently, and these changes require equally frequent action from our business in response. As at today, parts of our industry remain classified as essential services that are to continue to operate while some are directed to temporarily cease. We’re working as part of LINX Cargo Care Group’s Pandemic Management Team, and together with your C3 customer and operational contacts, to determine on a case-by-case basis as regulatory information comes to hand, what these classifications mean for C3, our operations and our customers.

The priority actions below have been implemented to ensure full compliance with government directions and employee management requirements for the safe continuation of your service, while ensuring minimal service disruptions and potential virus spread by:

Prioritising employee safety by communicating the latest requirements as advised by the government on 23 March, which lifted New Zealand to Alert Level 3. A State of Emergency was declared on 25 March and we then moved to Alert Level 4 at 11.59pm. In an update to our employees, we ensured we advised and are undertaking, as a minimum, the standards as outlined under the Alert Level 4 for employees who are either working or not working during this time.
Together with our LINX CCG Health, Safety and Environment and Procurement teams, we continue to provide ongoing education to our people about the spread of COVID-19 and the precautions to take to avoid it. This includes increased hygiene management and providing them with all the necessary products onsite (as able) in alignment with Ministry of Health guidelines. We are providing regular HSE Alerts to our employees, detailing the latest measures as they come to hand. Where possible, staff interactions have been reduced.
Actively managing isolation requirements with any employee who has recently travelled overseas by making sure employees are aware of the specific rules and advice via posters and toolbox talks.
Being prepared to actively manage anyone who may have had close exposure to a person who has tested positive to COVID-19. Additionally, in the event C3 becomes aware an employee has tested positive to COVID-19, C3 has a detailed Employee Checklist for site management to execute urgently, which includes measures such as sending the employee immediately home, alerting staff who have been in close proximity, providing self-isolation advice and guidance, and advising on access to health and wellbeing services such as EAP, etc.
Actively engaging with relevant unions on employee communications and health and wellbeing management on site via ongoing communications and daily interaction.
Delivering prompt customer communications on potential unforeseen delays or issues.

From an operational perspective, we advise the following:

New Zealand Forestry Checkpoints are closed and receivals (for both road and rail) suspended as at close of business Wednesday, 25 March. This suspension will be in place until further notice, it is likely to continue while the country remains at Level 4.
Currently, the marshalling and stevedoring of New Zealand forestry vessels will continue while the country remains at Level 4. This is based on advice from Port companies and from the Ministry of Transport, specifically point three which states – “if the movement of non-essential goods are required to create space for essential goods and the movement of essential goods within the port and across the supply chain.”
Logistics activities are ongoing across our Auckland, Mount Maunganui, Tauranga and Timaru operations. We are operating with reduced workforce numbers and continue to do what we can to provide essential services to our customers.
Please be aware that service levels may be reduced due to staff availability as we will not be able to move staff between ports during this period. We are adjusting/staggering toolbox meetings, shift changeovers and breaks to minimise interaction between gangs and shifts.

We understand your business and industry circumstances are evolving and changing weekly, if not daily, and we will continue to be flexible and responsive, while implementing measures and appropriate, considered actions that meet your needs, and comply with industry and Government advice and protocols.

Contact

If you have any queries or questions, please do not hesitate to contact your relevant Account Manager.

Pedersen Group

As you aware, New Zealand Government directives are changing frequently, and these changes require equally frequent action from our business in response. As at today, parts of our industry remain classified as essential services that are to continue to operate while some are directed to temporarily cease. We’re working as part of LINX Cargo Care Group’s Pandemic Management Team, and together with your Pedersen customer and operational contacts, to determine on a case-by-case basis as regulatory information comes to hand, what these classifications mean for Pedersen Group, our operations and our customers.

Where Pedersen Group continues to operate, be assured we have heightened controls and measures in place to manage our employee and customer’s health and safety, while ensuring minimal service disruptions.

We have implemented the below priority actions to ensure full compliance with government directions and minimise potential virus spread by:

Prioritising employee safety by communicating the latest requirements as advised by the government on 23 March, which lifted New Zealand to Alert Level 3. A State of Emergency was declared on 25 March and we then moved to Alert Level 4 at 11.59pm. In an update to our employees, we ensured we advised and are undertaking, as a minimum, the standards as outlined under the Alert Level 4 for employees who are either working or not working during this time.
Together with our LINX CCG Health, Safety and Environment and Procurement teams, we continue to provide ongoing education to our people about the spread of COVID-19 and the precautions to take to avoid it. This includes increased hygiene management and providing them with all the necessary products onsite (as able) in alignment with Ministry of Health guidelines. We are providing regular HSE Alerts to our employees, detailing the latest measures as they come to hand. Where possible, staff interactions have been reduced.
Actively managing isolation requirements with any employee who has recently travelled overseas by making sure employees are aware of the specific rules and advice via posters and toolbox talks.
Being prepared to actively manage anyone who may have had close exposure to a person who has tested positive to COVID-19. Additionally, in the event Pedersen becomes aware an employee has tested positive to COVID-19, Pedersen has a detailed Employee Checklist for site management to execute urgently, which includes measures such as sending the employee immediately home, alerting staff who have been in close proximity, providing self-isolation advice and guidance, and advising on access to health and wellbeing services such as EAP, etc.
Actively engaging with relevant unions on employee communications and health and wellbeing management on site via ongoing communications and daily interaction.
Delivering prompt customer communications on potential unforeseen delays or issues.

Contact

If you have any queries or questions, please do not hesitate to contact your relevant Account Manager.

COVID-19 Customer updates – New Zealand