Trustees of the Hawke’s Bay Disaster Relief Trust have approved an update to the eligibility criteria for the Disaster Relief Trust and increased eligible amounts up to $10,000. Commencing 8 May, this second phase will also allow previous applicants to reapply for additional support where they have been severely impacted.

The new criteria are specifically targeting those who have experienced significant additional pressure and costs associated with the cyclone and have not had financial support to cover these costs. Phase Two will be open to individuals and community groups to cover larger costs incurred because of the flood such as cleaning, clearing, and potential rebuilding of properties impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Hawke’s Bay Disaster Relief Fund and Regional Council Chair Hinewai Ormsby says “The mayors and I feel that these new criteria will enable us to provide additional assistance to those who were most impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle and have ongoing high needs.”

The changes have been made possible due to generous donations made by the public and larger organisations such as Red Cross, Fulton Hogan and stuff.co.nz to name a few.

The trustees felt that a change in eligibility was warranted to ensure that payments can be made to those most in need. They recognised the need to support individuals experiencing continued costs associated with cyclone clean-up as well as the ongoing well-being issues experienced in our communities.

The Trust is also making larger bulk donations to each of the region’s territorial authorities of $2,000 for every stickered property within their region. The councils will need to allocate these funds based on their contact lists to support these affected properties.

Since 27 March, the Disaster Relief Trust, administered by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC), has made payments of over $2m to approximately 3,500 applicants.

When the Trust was first established, the eligibility criteria were set to enable it to fairly distribute to people in need across the whole of Hawke’s Bay. The criteria were needed to ensure that the fund was not depleted too quickly given the initial $1m granted from the NZ Government.

Under the new criteria, each application will need to submit invoices and evidential proof that will be reviewed and approved prior to any reimbursement grants being made.

The current criteria for funding ($1k max for Individuals) will end at 5pm on 5 May 2023, with the new criteria opening for applications on 8 May 2023.

Applications under the current criteria can be found here: hbrc.info/HBDisasterFund.

Revised application forms will be available on the HBRC website on 8 May 2023.

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