Whāngarei District Mayor Sheryl Mai is urging Cabinet to reconsider its decision to keep Northland in COVID-19 alert level 4 with Auckland.
Mai says Northland residents aren't happy about being lumped in with Auckland's extended lockdown, while the rest of New Zealand moves to alert level 3 at 11:59 on Tuesday.
Despite Northland having no community cases of COVID-19, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday said the decision to keep the region in alert level 4 was due to a positive case in Warkworth - a town close to the Auckland/Northland border.
But Mai argues Wellington has community COVID-19 cases and they don't, yet Northland is staying in level 4.
"It would be fair to say that there are a few grumpy people," she told Newshub. "There seems to be a bit of an anomaly between how they've treated Wellington and how they're treating Whāngarei or Northland for that matter because we have no cases here.
"There are cases in Wellington and they're going to level 3 so it doesn't seem to make sense."
Mai noted the difference between alert levels 4 and 3 weren't terribly significant but some of Northland's hospitality businesses would receive a boost by moving down a level.
"Having said that, Cabinet will be making another decision on Monday and, with the information over the weekend, I've got my fingers crossed that perhaps Northland could be treated differently from Tuesday onward," she said.
Regardless of alert levels, Mai said residents were taking more COVID precautions this time around.
"I think we've got more familiar with using face coverings, using the QR codes, keeping our distance and from when I'm out and about… everyone is respecting those rules.
"People are hunkering down," she said.
Kaipara Mayor Jason Smith has also criticised the alert level decision.
"I am hopeful that Northland will be able to have its own alert level if there are no positive cases up here," he told the Northern Advocate.
The alert level decision was also condemned in the South Island.
"I'm not comfortable with it at all," Westland District Mayor Bruce Smith.
"It hasn't considered the South Island economy, it hasn't been a rational look at the mix of health and economic risks."
Regions south of Auckland will remain at alert level 3 for at least 10 days from Tuesday before a potential shift to level 2. Auckland is expected to remain under a stringent lockdown for at least another two weeks.
