Mayoral Relief Fund Provides Support To Thousands

Mayoral Relief Fund Provides Immediate Cash Support To Thousands Of Quake Affected Residents

Around three thousand residents in Kaiapoi and surrounding towns have received cash grants in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s massive earthquake to help them get through.

The money has come from the Waimakariri Mayoral Relief Fund, supported by a one hundred thousand dollar donation from Mainpower, North Canterbury’s electricity company, and other donations.

Immediate cash grants of up to $500 per applicant have been available from the main welfare centre in Kaiapoi.

As of today, this fund is virtually depleted.

Mayor Ron Keating says it has proven critical in these early days as people come to terms with the disaster in helping provide ‘cash’ to cover groceries, medical and other emergency costs.

“Many people who had been forced to flee their homes with little more than what they were standing in found themselves out on the streets, homeless and literally penniless, wallets and purses often left behind in the rush to leave.

“While we’ve been working to help with temporary accommodation and support, having access to real money has ensured they have been able to purchase the necessary provisions to cope in the immediate short term.”

Grants were approved within 24 hours.

Mayor Keating says the fund was, however, only designed as a short term measure to help people in the immediate aftermath.

He says people still in financial straits should now be looking to the major appeal funding through Red Cross or talking with social agencies and WINZ in particular about on-going financial support.

Around 120 families in the river town of Kaiapoi and surrounding communities have been forced to find alternate accommodation in the wake of the big shake. Their homes are currently deemed uninhabitable.

Access is restricted to a further 400 homes in the worst affected areas. Many of those residents have chosen to move out temporarily while their houses are formally assessed.

Access to Kaiapoi is currently restricted only to residents.

Mayor Keating says it has been exceptionally pleasing people have heeded requests to stay away while residents come to stock with the full extent of the damage to their town.

Council staff with support from neighbouring councils are responding to specific inspection requests and revisiting red and yellow stickered buildings over the weekend to confirm their status and cordon off unsafe properties.

Civil Defence Controller, Bruce Thompson, says these reviews are being done to ascertain the safety of buildings and are not a comprehensive structural review.

“Owners need to contact their insurers and the earthquake commission to arrange the necessary detailed structural reviews and any follow up work.

“Where either significant repairs are required, or the buildings are to be demolished, owners should contact the council as a consent may be required.”

There are only a few residents still without water. The council is working to restore this as quickly as possible. Where this has proven difficult, temporary pipes are being installed to bring water to those homes.

“More large scale work will ultimately be needed to replace some pipes and mains. This is going to mean on-going disruption for these communities for some months, and in some instances years, before our sewer and water systems are completely renewed.”

Anyone feeling vulnerable or unwell is urged to go a welfare centre where there is food, water, shelter and toilet facilities and people who can provide information of help that is available.

The main centre is at the Kaiapoi Rugby Football clubrooms, with drop in centres at Pines Beach and Tuahiwi Marae.

The state of emergency in Waimakariri has been extended to Wednesday and 7pm to 7am restrictions on access remain in place in Kaiapoi, Pines Beach and Kairaki.

ENDS