Cyclone Gabrielle has caused widespread damage across Aotearoa New Zealand and many marae, iwi and community organisations have faced significant costs supporting people during the response.

Acting Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management Roger Ball says that community groups have worked hard to respond to Cyclone Gabrielle and it’s important to reimburse them as quickly and easily as possible.

“Iwi, marae and community groups were the backbone of this response. They demonstrated manaakitanga when their communities needed it most and kept people safe during Cyclone Gabrielle.

“We know that getting reimbursement for emergency costs can be challenging at times, which is why we want to make that process easier.”

The Cyclone Gabrielle Welfare Support Grant will reimburse emergency costs that have already been incurred by marae, iwi and community organisations to care for people who were affected, displaced or isolated during the state of national emergency.

“It’s too early to know the full cost of the damage of Cyclone Gabrielle,” says Roger Ball.

“But this grant provides a faster alternative to the normal process of seeking reimbursement through local authorities for emergency response costs.”

Applications are now open and community groups can apply directly on civildefence.govt.nz.

The Grant is administered by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on behalf of the government, and potential applicants can find out more on NEMA’s website.

Find out more about support available in the Tararua District: Cyclone Gabrielle Support | Tararua District Council (tararuadc.govt.nz)