$100,000 in relief for the Tasman community

Economic Development Minister David Parker and Civil Defence Minister Kris Faafoi today announced the Government will provide $100,000 to support Golden Bay residents and businesses.

The funding will help those adversely affected by Cyclone Gita, which hit on 20 February this year.

“The community has asked for support and I think it’s important that they get it,” Mr Parker says.

“The damage to Takaka Hill Road means many of Golden Bay’s businesses are suffering from lower levels of custom and limited access to freight services that will potentially have long term impacts.”

The $100,000 is made up of $80,000 from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and $20,000 from the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management.

It will go into a relief fund managed by the Tasman District Council.

“In these situations, councils are best placed to assess local needs, and to deliver that support,” Mr Parker says. “Businesses that can demonstrate they have been directly affected by Cyclone Gita and the disruption to State Highway 60 can apply directly to the Tasman District Council.”

Primary producers will not be eligible for this funding. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor declared Gita a medium-scale adverse event across the Tasman District, helping farmers and growers with recovery coordination and wellbeing events delivered through Rural Support Trusts.

Mr Faafoi says the money from Civil Defence will be used to provide one-off hardship grants to Tasman District residents affected by the storm event.

“It will cover such things as essentials for daily life, extra financial costs due to flooding, and costs not covered by insurance or other funds,” says Mr Faafoi. “I would also like to acknowledge everyone involved in the response and recovery effort, not just council and other agencies, but also local support systems and neighbours looking out for one another.”

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