After initially proposing a grant of $5,000 to the Kaikoura Earthquake Relief Fund, the Whangarei District Council (WDC) has increased its grant to $10,000, and is not only donating the money to Kaikoura, but also the Hurunui District.
Both areas were badly affected says councillor Crichton Christie and houses and farmlands were especially damaged by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake on November 13.
The WDC has granted a large sum of money to other district councils after extreme natural events, such as the Christchurch earthquakes. Now it became appropriate to support the Kaikoura and Hurunui District by increasing the donation from $5,000 to $10,000.
The WDC has previously granted $10,000 to Mayor Parker's Mayoral Relief Fund which went towards the rebuilding of Canterbury after the damage caused by the quakes in 2010 and 2011.
Whangarei has also received donations from other councils when the district suffered from severe floods in recent years.