Lotto-draw cyclone monies: Gabrielle Appeal Trust fund open for applications

The Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust fund is open for applications more than a year after over $10 million was raised through a special Lotto draw and appeal.

The trust was set up to support the medium to long-term needs of communities, iwi and hapū as they recover from Cyclone Gabrielle.

The trust has $14m for project grants made up of all the donations to the appeal, including the special Lotto draw and all interest earned on that money to date, according to a statement from the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA).

It is open for applications from communities, iwi, hapū and marae in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, the Bay of Plenty, East Coast and Hawke’s Bay regions and the Tararua district.

“One of the lessons learned from the devastating 2011 Christchurch earthquakes is that it takes some time for longer-term needs to become clear. This fund was set up to help ensure those needs are supported,” trustee Barbara Arnott said.

“We have been told there are many small-scale projects that communities, iwi, hapū and marae want and they can quickly complete. We want to fund these.”

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said at the start of February it was difficult for people to comprehend that the money hadn’t moved considering the speed of many other cyclone-related relief funds, and described the situation as “disappointing and unfair on our impacted communities”.

Most of the money which comes from Lotto has to be distributed per the Gambling Act, meaning it can go towards “community purposes” only.

It cannot go to individuals or businesses to help them clean up and it could not be used for infrastructure work.

The DIA suggested the funding may be used for things like satellite phones, generators and containers for storing supplies to help communities prepare for future disasters, or small projects difficult for communities to fund like repairs to children’s playgrounds.

The funding will be allocated by prioritising applications for small-scale projects communities, iwi, hapū and marae are ready to action as soon as funding is received, only making grants to groups, not individuals, and supporting projects likely to cost less than $30,000.