Grant for Gisborne

WELLINGTON - The Gisborne District Council will get a $396,000 grant to help it cope with millennium events, Prime Minister Jenny Shipley announced yesterday.

She said it was a contribution towards the additional costs of managing infrastructure such as water, sewage and public conveniences.

Speaking on the site of the Ruamano 2000 celebrations at Awapuni, she said the decision followed a review by the office of Emergency Management and Civil Defence to assess the risks associated with additional visitors to the region.

The grant was welcomed by Mayor John Clarke, who said it might cost the city as much as $2.8 million to host the event.-NZPA.