‘Tangible support’: How much Whanganui’s mayoral relief raised for cyclone-hit Hastings

The mayoral relief fund was set up in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Whanganui’s mayoral relief fund has raised almost $90,000 for the cyclone-hit Hastings District.

The fund will be closed at the end of the month and Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said he had been impressed by the support from the Whanganui community following the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle in February.

“Given the challenges with the cost of living right now, it’s been a fantastic effort to raise such an impressive sum,” Tripe said.

“The funding has already made a real difference, supporting groups on the ground – who are often volunteering their time – by covering costs for things like fuel, food, transport, counselling and machinery to clear silt and debris.”

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said her community appreciated Whanganui’s support.

“Many of our people have been going through immensely difficult and uncertain times. This funding has helped provide tangible support to those most affected – and assisted with the hard mahi done by many individuals and groups to help with their recovery.”

Whanganui district councillor Rob Vinsen has been working closely with Tripe to support the fundraising initiative.

“One hundred per cent of the funds we’ve raised are going directly to the relief efforts,” Vinsen said.

“So far we’ve seen $50,000 of our funding distributed across nine worthy recipients across the Hastings District – with the remaining balance to be transferred for further distribution at the end of the month.”

Meal Drive Hawke’s Bay received $5000 from the fund. Jarnah Snee, who volunteers in the group, said the funding had helped them with their work to distribute ready-to-heat frozen meals to flood-stricken rural communities.

“People dealing with stress and fatigue often don’t have the energy to prepare a meal from scratch – and in some cases people lacked kitchen equipment following the floods,” Snee said.

“So our goal has been to help relieve a bit of that stress by providing people with nice home-cooked meals – often prepared by volunteers in other parts of the country.”

Another recipient of funding was a family in the Dartmoor community, who were allocated $5000 to assist with the purchase of a new raft. The family’s previous raft had been used extensively in the initial emergency response – ferrying fuel, food and people across the river following the collapse of the local bridge.

But eventually the build-up of silt, and reducing water levels in the river, damaged the raft beyond repair.

Silt clearing has been one of the biggest, ongoing challenges in the region, so funding has also been allocated to support those efforts. Ian Merson, from Puketapu-based Merson Contractors, who received $4000 funding, said much of his company’s equipment was either washed away in the floods or buried deep in silt.

“This funding is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel for us. It’s helping cover some of the costs of purchasing new tools and digging machinery out of silt. Every little bit helps.”

Tripe said Whanganui should be proud of the support it had given.

“The spirit of koha is very strong in our community and it’s been amazing to see that in action following Cyclone Gabrielle,” he said.

“We’ve had our share of floods in the past here in Whanganui, so we know all too well how important it is to support communities in their time of need.”

The Whanganui Mayoral Relief Fund for Cyclone Gabrielle will officially close at midnight on Friday, June 30. Donations will be accepted up until that time.

To make a donation go to CG23.whanganui.govt.nz