Mayor defuses quake cash row

Wanganui Mayor Annette Main has promised to personally ensure there are no delays in getting community-raised relief funds to their destination following the revelation that money raised for the September 2010 earthquake had still not been sent.
Concerns were raised when Wanganui District Council councillor Ray Stevens told the Chronicle at the end of February that the money raised for the September 2010 Canterbury earthquake appeal had still not been sent to Christchurch, and a further $20,000 raised for the families of those killed in the Pike River mine disaster in November was also still being held.
He also revealed that Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn had informed the council they were no longer accepting donations for the Pike River fund and were asking that any money be donated instead to the Christchurch earthquake relief.
Shortly after, Ms Main issued a press release saying the money would still be sent to Pike River, as those funds were raised specifically to help the people of Greymouth. It would be Mr Kokshoorn's decision as to where the money was directed from there.
Ms Main said the plan had been for Cr Stevens to deliver the money from both appeals to their respective communities, but it had been delayed in the aftermath of the quake then overtaken by February's events.
That was just not good enough for Sheryl Drayton, who was among a number of people who contacted the Chronicle in response to the story.
Mrs Drayton said she had donated to the Canterbury earthquake appeal and called the council to find out why delivery of the money had taken so long.
She said she was told that Cr Stevens had been going to personally present the money, but had as yet been unable to find the appropriate time.
She was not impressed with the response.
"Why couldn't it be sent electronically? Did he think it was like presenting a cup to a team?"
Mrs Drayton said the people who had given money to the appeals, many of whom could probably ill afford it, wanted to see it making a difference to the people who needed it. They didn't care about how it was delivered.
"It should be done quickly with an acknowledgment that it has been done. It doesn't need to be a media opportunity."
Yesterday, Cr Stevens said it was his fault alone the money had Main defuses row
over quake cash
The latest earthquake has highlighted the need for the funds collected for previous events to be passed on immediately.Mayor Annette Main
been delayed, not the council's, and he apologised for any perceived wrongdoing.
Cr Stevens said "timing issues" had slowed up the process of getting the money delivered. He and Cr Jack Bullock had been going to deliver both sets of money personally to Greymouth and Christchurch in the same trip, to be paid for by Cr Stevens himself.
Both places were too busy to receive them after their respective disasters and then the council's were closed for Christmas, he said.
There was no reason why the money couldn't have been sent electronically, but he had wanted to wait until all the money for both appeals came in to deliver it all at once. That meant waiting for money from other fundraising activities to come in.
He said he thought it was better and more personal to present the money in person.
"It was a matter of timing for us, I wanted every single penny to go down there."
Ms Main yesterday agreed that funds collected on behalf of the community to assist with emergency events did not require personal delivery, even if there was no cost to council.
"The latest earthquake has highlighted the need for the funds collected for previous events to be passed on immediately and I have arranged for the funds to be transferred directly to both Greymouth and Christchurch," she said.
She said she had been in correspondence with both mayors and made clear that the decision on how the funds would be used was entirely up to them.
The $1100 raised so far for the February Canterbury earthquake appeal would be sent electronically on a weekly basis. "In the event that this community is asked again to contribute, I will personally ensure delays in getting donated funds to their destination do not occur."