Extra $700k to boost flood relief in Bay for businesses, growers and rural families

An extra $700k of relief will go to flood-ravaged businesses, farmers and growers and rural families in Edgecumbe and the Bay of Plenty.

The package included $200,000 for rural assistance payments to help rural families with living costs, $250,000 for the Rural Support Trust to help farmers and growers assess crop damage, and $250,000 towards a Disaster Relief Fund to support businesses.

Around 100 local businesses would receive the funding, announced today by Minister for Economic Development Simon Bridges and Lead Minister for Edgecumbe, Anne Tolley.

The funding would help businesses stay operable while the massive clean-up continued, Mr Bridges said.

"It's going to be some time before things get back to normal after the flooding.

"It's important the Government provides the appropriate support to help people get back on their feet."

Mr Bridges said the funding went along with the Government's existing support.

"Over 2300 Civil Defence payments have been made to help people with food, clothing and bedding - around $550,000 has been paid to date," Mrs Tolley said.

Further hardship assistance payments were also available and Government provided $500,000 of additional Task Force Green Funding to employ people to assist the councils with the clean-up.