May 31, 2021
Ngai Tahu joins Canterbury flood response
There’s a state of local emergency in Canterbury where two days of heavy rain has caused widespread flooding with roads closed, bridges washed away, power cuts, homes evacuated and farmers losing land and livestock.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu acting chief executive Darren Beatty says rūnanga staff are part of the team at the emergency operations centre in Christchurch.
The rūnanga has also been talking to its papatipu rūnanga and using its Facebook page to keep whānau informed of the help available in their areas.
"We've been talking to marae to make sure they're fine and if they're needed to be called on for assistance, that they are able to do that, and we've been keeping staff informed as well so from a work perspective, how do they keep themselves safe, keep their families safe, making sure we're not on the roads when we shouldn't be and making sure everyone heeds the advice of emergency services, local councils and civil defence," Mr Beatty says.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu has a pūtea manaaki which people can apply to if they are significantly affected by the emergency.
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