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February 23, 2023
Marae pockets emptied in relief effort
Claudette Hauiti
Posted On February 23, 2023
Download AudioGreen MP Elizabeth Kerekere wants marae to be reimbursed for what they’re spent on feeding and sheltering people displaced by Cyclone Gabrielle.
She says while some marae face big clean-up or rebuilding bills, others like Te Poho O Rāwiri in Gisborne became the centre for both welfare and emergency management.
“All the money they’re using to feed the people who are turning up, all the volunteers and everything, coming out of their own pocket. It was only after several days kai started turning up in our rohe. They never got a cash injection to pay for what they were putting out,” Dr Kerekere says.
Koha is now coming in from Iwi around the motu like Waikato Tainui and Ngāi Tahu, and the Government has announced initial support packages for businesses, farmers and growers.
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