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The Government has extended the state of national emergency for Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay for a further seven days.
Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty says the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle continues to be deeply felt by many communities in those regions, with thousands of people still unable to return to their homes due to flood damage.
The response still needs to be at a national level, including coordinating the personnel and equipment needed to transport essential supplies into the affected areas.
He also intends to consult councils about including Wairarapa into the national transition period, which enables remedial works to be carried out such as restoring access to cut-off properties or making temporary infrastructure repairs.
The Government has also boosted the rural recovery fund by $26 million, on top of the initial $25 million.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson says more than $17.4 million has already been paid out to farmers and growers, with almost 3000 applications received.
He says the grants of $10,000 for pastoral and arable farmers and growers and up to $2,000 per hectare for horticulture is giving people the confidence and reassurance to start remediating their farms and orchards.
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