March 26, 2024
Donations, drop in bucket for cyclone recovery
A member of one of the hardest-hit marae in Wairoa says the new Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust Fund is a drop in the bucket.
The $14 million fund comes from public donations, including a special Lotto draw, and it will be administered by Internal Affairs.
It’s open to communities, iwi, hapū and marae in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast Hawke’s Bay and the Tararua district who can apply for grants for small scale projects which can be completed quickly.
Tākitimu Marae vice chair Wikitoria Hauraki says her marae is facing a $6-million dollar repair bill.
She says the Government needs to step up.
“We want things to happen in a more cohesive way. There’s got to be something a lot better to get this process through a lot smoother. Because its about time, but look at that, it came through donations and lotto and everything. It wasn’t through a government-initiated funding agency,” Ms Hauraki says.
Tākitimu Marae has had all three of its applications for cyclone relief funding turned down.