Further to our message last week about “adopting’ Whangārei District Council, the Council now has a bank account number for those who would like to donate to their Mayoral Relief Fund.
Cyclone Gabrielle has prompted many councils around the country to pair up and assist councils that have been badly affected by last month’s weather.
An initial estimate for the total response and repair cost for damage incurred to Northland local roads is $50 million.
Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo has sent South Wairarapa a message, thanking the district for getting behind his council, which is currently still assessing the damage.
“At this point, the full extent of our community need is still unknown; however, we have no doubt there will be many reaching out for help in the weeks to come.”
He said any donations from the South Wairarapa would be “gratefully received” and allocated to those in most need using select criteria.
“Should we reach a point where we have met the needs of our community in this response, we will reallocate any remaining funds from your donations to other Gabrielle-affected districts within Aotearoa.”
Another way our Council could help was by reminding people that the Whangārei region was still open for business, Mr Cocurullo said.
“We have been hit hard, but we are rebuilding.”
Donations can be made to the Whangarei Mayoral Relief Fund account 02-0492-0358315-00. Please include the name of the donor and put “Mayoral Relief Fund” in the reference.
Donations will be used for disaster recovery including:
- dealing with septic tank overflows
- filling water tanks
- clearing debris from properties
- supporting individuals/families faced with hardships as a result of the emergency
- assisting small businesses impacted by the emergency where appropriate
- koha and refreshments to community groups or individuals who assist in clean up at their expense
- replacement of items that cannot be insured – for example fences, footpaths etc.
- basic needs such as clothes, bedding, etc for those not covered by insurance
