Millions more needed for flood relief

Despite the Government's injection of funds for Manawatu-Wanganui flood relief, an extra $20 million requested by the Horizons Regional Council in April is still urgently needed, council chairman Chris Lester says.

On Friday, the Government distributed just over $8 million to the Rangitikei and Manawatu district councils and Horizons Regional Council for rates remissions.

Next month the Government will match the $2.8 million raised by national and regional flood relief drives, says a spokesman for Local Government Minister Chris Carter.

A spokesman for Civil Defence Minister George Hawkins said he did not know when a decision on extra funding would be made.