Flood relief fund

Hawke’s Bay Mayors and Chair have activated the regional Disaster Relief Trust, making it easy for people from anywhere in New Zealand to donate to the region’s Cyclone Gabrielle recovery effort.

The scale of the devastation and destruction across Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay is, quite frankly, apocalyptic. Lives have been lost and livelihoods have been literally swept away. Whole communities have been destroyed and many people have been left with nothing but the clothes they were wearing when they were rescued from rooftops as the floodwaters struck.

New Zealanders are incredibly generous, and we know they will want to do what they can to help. The Trust is the easiest and most effective way for people to lend a hand. It means people can donate to one single, centralised fund and know their financial support will be spent on the most urgent needs and directed where it is needed most.

Local Councils and Mayors in Hawkes Bay will shortly confirm the needs-based criteria for funds distribution and provide relief to Hawkes Bay in the coming weeks.

Right now, we wanted to reactivate the trust as quickly as we could, knowing people are keen to support our communities in whatever way they can.