After weeks of heavy demand, the Tauranga AA Centre team is excited to offer locals a new service, which will help them enrol online to vote in this year’s election.  

People who need their photo taken and documents checked and scanned to verify their RealMe® identity can now visit the Centres to complete the process.   

A RealMe® verified identity is a secure way of proving your identity online. It can be used with a range of businesses, services and Government Departments, including banking and financial providers,  student enrolments and StudyLink, universities and polytechs.   

It makes it easier to confirm your identity and prove that you are who you say you are online. The AA began offering RealMe® identity verification as a contracted service via AA Centres, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agents and Mobile Agents shortly before lockdown after a successful pilot programme. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has the responsibility for delivering - RealMe services and it is an initiative from the New Zealand Government. 

AA Bay of Plenty District Manager Heather Kerr says the Centre team is thrilled to offer the RealMe® identity verification service to the local community.  

“A RealMe® identity is incredibly useful for New Zealanders, whether it be a first-time student seeking a loan with Studylink or someone who is creating an account to enrol to vote in this year’s election,” she says.   

“Our Centres were closed due to COVID-19 before many New Zealanders had the chance to visit so we are glad that those looking to verify their identity can now do so.”

The Centres experienced heavy demand after reopening at Alert Level 2 – with more than 2500 people visiting the Centre in the first two weeks. It’s the same story nationwide, with the AA’s 37 Centres collectively seeing almost 90,000 people over the first 3 weeks – and volumes still 30% above normal.

Heather says, “We are continuing to follow Ministry of Health standards to ensure the safety of our people and customers as we move into winter.   

“This includes having plastic sneeze barriers on our counters and additional hand sanitisation stations. We also have a cleaning regime to ensure the safety of high touch areas.” 

Locals can also go to the Centres for driver and vehicle licensing, to pay road user charges, for Ministry of Social Development and SuperGold images, personal IRD number application, and more.