Matahi o te Tau Marae near Te Araroa is one of the 21 marae in Tairāwhiti that received lottery funding for new solar and battery installations.
Matahi o te Tau Marae near Te Araroa is one of the 21 marae in Tairāwhiti that received lottery funding for new solar and battery installations.
More than 120 community organisations in Tairawhiti are benefiting from $3.55 million in grants from the $11.8m raised through a special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief.
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the generosity of New Zealanders through a special Lotto fundraising draw has benefitted Cyclone Gabrielle-stricken communities throughout Tairāwhiti. Photo / Mark Mitchell
“Cyclone Gabrielle had a devasting impact on the East Coast, causing widespread destruction to property and requiring significant relief efforts,” Minister of InternalAffairs Brooke van Velden said.
“Now, one year after grant applications closed, 121 community organisations have received funding to rebuild, thanks to the generosity of Kiwis who bought tickets to the special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief.
Funds raised were passed from the Lottery Grants Board to the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust, which accepted grant applications until May 2024 and distributed all funds by October.
Grants were given to community organisations in regions where a state of emergency was declared for Gabrielle – the East Coast, Bay of Plenty, Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Hawke’s Bay and Tararua.
More than 560 groups and organisations from these areas received grants that have allowed them to rebuild and prepare for future adverse weather – much of the funding coming from the Lotto draw on March 18, 2023.
“We’re incredibly proud to have played a role in this vital recovery effort and very grateful to our players for rallying around to help support those worst affected by the cyclone,” Lotto NZ chief executive Jason Delamore said.
More than $850,000 for local marae for solar and battery installations.
$49,916 to Hato Hone St John Gisborne to protect the ambulance station (at the Taruheru River end of Bright St) from flooding.
$29,839 to the Pehiri Emergency Management Group for communications systems, emergency supplies and equipment.
The volunteer fire brigade at Ruatōria got $30,000 for additional water storage tanks.
$30,000 to the Ruatōria Volunteer Fire Brigade (Fire and Emergency New Zealand) to purchase and install additional water storage tanks to increase brigade water capacity and resilience for fire emergency response.
$25,000 to the Tahunga Residents Association Incorporated for amenities and upgrades to the community hall so it can be used as an emergency hub.
The special draw was a part of the overall cyclone recovery effort and complemented the work that government, charities, mayoral relief funds, corporate partners and local fundraisers did in raising money to help with the response and recovery.
The Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust was established by the Crown as an independent entity to distribute funds raised in the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal.
The trust allocated $14.51m in total across the regions affected to help recovery efforts, of which $11,77m came from the Lotto draw.
Solar power on marae
More than 70 organisations received funding for new solar and battery installations to enable them to remain open to their communities during power outages.
In Tairāwhiti, 21 marae received $857,000 for solar panels to help build resilience within the community and against future events like Cyclone Gabrielle.
The project includes marae locations at Pōtaka, Te Araroa, Rangitukia/Tikitiki, Ruatōria, Waipiro Bay, Tolaga Bay, Makauri, Whatatutu and Muriwai.
The allocation of funds was overseen by Trust Tairāwhiti.
Solar panels were installed at Matahi o te Tau Marae, thanks to funds raised through a special Lotto draw in 2023 following the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.
“Our marae has always been a natural place of gathering for our whānau, especially in times of crisis,” Matahi o te Tau Marae [east of Te Araroa] trustee and secretary Campbell Dewes said
“When the cyclone hit and the power went out, we were cut off.
“Having solar and battery storage now means we’re not only able to keep our freezers full of kai and meet our day-to-day needs, we’re also less dependent on the grid, more resilient and doing our bit to reduce our carbon footprint.
“As one of the first places in Aotearoa to see the sun, it’s only fitting we can harness some of its energy to power our future,” Dewes said.
Trust Tairāwhiti general manager Audine Grace-Kutia said the marae were being equipped with 28-to-40 high-efficiency solar panels and a battery averaging just over 20 kWh in capacity.
“These systems are expected to cover more than 50% of a marae’s daily energy needs and will save them hundreds of dollars a month on power bills – all the while giving the marae greater energy independence, which is especially important in remote or outage-prone areas,” Grace-Kutia said.
“It means they’re able to meet their cultural obligations in times when communities, whānau and hapū need support in the face of extreme weather events and the like.”
