Gisborne flood recovery gets support

The Government will contribute $175,000 towards a Mayoral Relief Fund to support people and communities most affected by the recent severe weather in Tairāwhiti, the Minister for Emergency Management Kiri Allan announced today.

“This community has had to deal with five other significant weather events – for which mayoral relief funds were not sought – in the past year, alongside COVID,” Kiri Allan said.

“The latest downpour has been really tough on the region, with numerous evacuations and some outer rural communities cut off. The community needs swift support to help get back on its feet after this latest setback.

“While we know there’s been considerable damage, it will take some days to understand the full impact of the storm.”

Mayoral Relief Funds help communities bounce back after an emergency. Local communities and councils understand where the immediate needs are and how to help whānau, community organisations and marae.

The funds are in addition to other support that people may be eligible for through the Ministry of Social Development and Ministry for Primary Industries.

“As always, it’s absolutely incredible to see how people on the East Coast have responded and pulled together to help each other,” Kiri Allan said.

“We’ve got more work to do, but I want to thank everyone involved - from the community leaders, marae, emergency services, local CDEM and council through to the numerous agencies and those on the ground - for their incredible mahi in response to this emergency.”

Kiri Allan says Waka Kotahi and its roading contractors are working tirelessly to clean up and debris across the state highway network and safely restore lifelines in and out of the region.

“And I know the Ministry for Primary Industries is also working really closely with groups on the ground and has its welfare emergency management team deployed to the region as additional on the ground support.”

• Mayoral Relief Funds provide an additional way to help communities bounce back after an emergency. Local communities and councils are well-placed to know exactly what they need so this funding can be used, for example, to meet the needs of affected families and individuals, community organisations or marae.
• Mayoral Relief Funds have previously been used for recovery activities such as cleaning septic tanks, filling water tanks, re-establishing damaged boundary fence lines and clearing debris from properties.
• The funds are in addition to other support that may be available from other agencies such as the Ministry of Social Development and Ministry for Primary Industries.
• Mayoral Relief Funds are intended to help fill gaps quickly where an immediate need exists. It’s not a replacement for insurance and costs covered by other funding sources.