Thames-Coromandel District Mayor Len Salt has announced a relief fund for those in the district affected by recent weather events is now open for applications. Photo / Supplied
Thames Coromandel District Mayor Len Salt has announced that applications for a relief fund have been opened to compensate those who have suffered financial loss in the wake of the devastation caused to the region by Cyclone Gabrielle.
The Mayoral Disaster Relief Fund is open to Thames-Coromandel District Council residents, ratepayers or small business owners, and not-for-profit organisations who have suffered financial hardship because of damages caused by the Cyclone Gabrielle weather event.
It may be used for things like cleaning debris from properties where people are uninsured, supporting individuals or families faced with hardship as a result of the emergency, and assisting impacted small businesses. It offers relief for people with basic needs, household goods and personal items where the individual or family is uninsured or to help with insurance excess payments.
“To help mitigate these losses and support our people, our council has established the Mayoral Disaster Relief Fund,” said Mayor Salt in a release today.
The fund has an initial amount of $100,000 available for drawdown, but Mayor Salt said “real support” is needed from central government in the form of “tens of millions in the short term and hundreds of millions in the long term”.
“This is the start of a raft of assistance packages we’re seeking as we work through (the) recovery of these extreme weather events.”
Salt said he has witnessed the work done by council and emergency services first hand.
“On Wednesday, I stood in the EOC operations centre with Transport Minister Michael Wood and watched as Civil Defence controller Garry Towler led his team of 150 personnel from around the district through the morning briefing. I’ve never been more proud of our people, or more grateful for their selfless contributions.
“Please continue to have patience and empathy while our council, contractors and other agencies like PowerCo continue to try and restore essential services. Have some empathy for our people on the ground who have been working day and night to get things back to some semblance of normality. Right now and over the weekend and into next week our focus is on welfare, getting medicines, food and water to vulnerable and isolated communities and opening up access routes.
“At the same time, our hearts also go out to the people of Tairawhiti, Napier, Wairoa, Hastings and all of the other districts that have been so hard. I’ve reached out to the mayors in these districts to see how we can help them. They did the same for us when Cyclone Gabrielle was upon us.
“Cyclone Gabrielle has been tough for everybody in our district. It followed five weeks of severe storm events and record-breaking rain. Our emergency roading budget was wiped out in the November storm. We’re now using retained earnings to pay for roading repairs. We’ve still got four months to go before the end of the financial year and the well is running dry.
“That’s the stark reality of our situation. The impact on our roading and infrastructure has been severe and we continue to work through that. We’re resourceful people in the Coromandel, but the longer-term effects are what have our council concerned.
“Central government needs to commit to a huge investment into our roading resilience and infrastructure capabilities, on a scale never seen before. This is now a critical conversation which goes to the heart of our economic and social wellbeing as a community-and it has to be an ‘all-party’ commitment. Politicians from all sides need to commit to making investments in our communities, and to working together to make it happen. Any politician who isn’t prepared to make that commitment isn’t welcome in my office.
“Our economic and social wellbeing depends on reliable access to services and amenities. We have had three Cabinet ministers visit in the last three weeks and that message has been relayed to the government in the strongest possible terms.”
Salt also mentioned the council’s proactive approach to building infrastructure to combat the ongoing effects of climate change, work that is now paramount to future-proof the region.
“Our council started work on this three years ago with the Shoreline Management Plan programme. We ramped up the urgency in the week before Cyclone Hale, and with each passing week, the need for long-term solutions has become more evident and more urgent.
“This is going to be a long journey, with some difficult conversations and decisions along the way. We’re in this together, and there’s never been a more important need for that spirit of Coromandel resilience and support for each other to continue. Thank you.”
The fund is a last resort measure when people have exhausted other appropriate sources such as Work and Income New Zealand, EQC and other government agencies.
The closing date for applying to the fund is March 10.
Once closed, all applications will be assessed and available funds will be allocated proportionately to applicants that meet the criteria. The amount available to each applicant that meets the criteria is $1000 or $2500. The amount granted will depend on the circumstances of the applicant.
Applications for assistance must be made in writing on the Mayoral Disaster Relief Fund application form, available both as an online form and printable PDF.
Further information supporting the application may be requested.
Ways to apply:
Download the PDF application form.