Whangarei District Mayor Vince Cocurullo is establishing a mayoral relief fund for people hard-hit by Cyclone Gabrielle.

“While the damage across our District is nothing like that in several others, some of our people have had their homes red or yellow stickered, others are looking at major losses to their livelihoods or businesses.

“The fund will be up and running next week. I will then provide the details of how to apply for funding, and our call centre will have all the details for callers.

“Communities pulling together to support each other and assist with the clean-up is vitally important. Our teams/contractors are also out there doing what they can to get the District back in shape, and there is a lot to do.

"Pace yourself as you recover from Cyclone Gabrielle it’s going to take a lot of time and energy.

“This pace will be hard for people to maintain for long periods, and as energy levels start to fall, we need to focus even more on looking after each other.

“Official resources (such as MSD payments) are available, yet informal support networks, friends, families, whanau, clubs, and organisations are even more important. I encourage anyone who is finding it hard to cope to reach out to others and for all of us to keep an eye on each other’s wellbeing.

"Rest when you can, enjoy time with family or friends – create a few light moments if possible.

“The Mayoral Relief Fund may be used to allocate one-off payments to individuals, families, community and not-for-profit organisations, marae, and small businesses within the Whangarei District who have suffered severe hardship or damage because of Cyclone Gabrielle.

“More details on the Mayoral Relief Fund criteria and how to apply will be available next week, along with providing information about how to contribute to the fund.”

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