Cyclone Gabrielle: More funding for businesses to remove silt and debris

A Moteo Pa Rd orchard at Puketapu showing the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle's flooding. Photo / Warren Buckland

Commercial entities in Hawke’s Bay have another opportunity to get more funding to remove silt and debris off their land with the latest boost from the Government.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) announced applications were open for $62.6 million of funding to support the recovery of sediment and debris dumped on commercial entities’ land in the region.

The funding is part of the $133.2m the Government allocated for silt and debris removal on residential and commercial land in Hawke’s Bay early last month.

Applicants for this latest funding will be able to receive up to $40,000, GST exclusive, as a grant.

Support from the Cyclone Gabrielle Farmer and Grower Recovery Grant and/or Cyclone Gabrielle Business Recovery Grant count toward the $40,000 cap, which means those who have already received the maximum amount from those sources will not be eligible for more.

They may also be eligible for up to $210,000, GST exclusive, on a reimbursement basis to cover 50 per cent of the cost where the applicant has not applied any other Crown funding to meet its contribution.

This means that the applicant has to spend $420,000 to receive $210,000.

Eligibility criteria have been set by the Government, while HBRC will administer the fund.

HBRC chairwoman Hinewai Ormsby said the money is for eligible Hawke’s Bay commercial entities that are approved by the assessment panel for work that has been done since the cyclone or will be done by June 30, 2024.

Darren de Klerk, Silt Recovery Taskforce lead, said the amount of funding made available by central government may not meet the needs of every eligible business.

“This means we will have to prioritise the funding based on those businesses who will find it most difficult to recover without assistance. We will be looking at the impact on previous-year and future-year income and the impact on the commercial premises as key measures for how we prioritise the allocation of funding,” de Klerk said.

Businesses can apply on the regional council’s website from June 6 until June 30 this year.