Minister dismisses Harawira's claims

Mana Party leader Hone Harawira has accused the Government of pandering to its own voters by putting the plight of farmers ahead of communities ravaged by last week's storm that devastated Northland.

The Te Tai Tokerau MP has been going through Northland this week with Internet Party leader Laila Harre and saw first hand the destructive force of the storm that dumped more than 500mm of rain on parts of the region in four days.

But Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye said the Government's response had been fast and effective, with feedback from local body leader and Civil Defence staff confirming that most seemed happy with the relief response.

Ms Kaye said if Mr Harawira was aware of people who needed further assistance he should let her know and they would be visited.

The Government committed $100,000 to mayoral relief funds straight after the storm and had also made a wide range of other assistance available, but Mr Harawira was disappointed that farmers were at the front of the relief efforts.

"The flooding in Tai Tokerau has hammered the North and impacted hundreds of families right across the region," Mr Harawira said.

"It's bitterly disappointing to see that the first response from this National Government is to bail out a few farmers. Poor Maori communities devastated by the floods have been completely ignored in the first round of assistance while National bails out its own voters and that's a bloody disgrace, particularly when you know that some of those same farmers have deliberately broken the law and flooded other lands.

"Flood relief should focus firstly on people, not profits, and most of the people affected by the floods live in heavily populated communities like Moerewa. Farmers deserve support too, no question, but Government's first relief should be for communities, not cows."

But Ms Kaye said the Government has contributed $100,000 to the two mayoral funds ($90,000 for the Far North and $10,000 for Whangarei), and will be re-assessing over the coming weeks whether further support is needed, based on discussions with the mayors of the two councils. She said mayoral relief funds after the last big storm in Northland were not set up until a month after the event.

"Mayoral relief funds are set up specifically to help meet the welfare and other needs of those who have suffered damage or loss in an emergency event. They are established and administered by councils. They are not the primary conduit for government assistance," she said.

"The councils have significant discretion in the way they administer the funds, including the establishment of criteria for disbursement. The Government expects that disaster recovery relief funds, such as mayoral relief funds, will be used to not only meet the needs of affected individuals and families, but also those of community organisations and marae, and their associated facilities and infrastructure."

Ms Kaye said Work and Income had already given out several hundred hardship grants, worth more than $30,000 to Northlanders affected by the storm.

"Ministry of Social Development staff and council staff have been out there door knocking to find out what people's individual needs are," she said.

The Government had also given NZTA money to fix the vital State Highway 1, while farmers had been given tax relief.

"If Mr Harawira knows of any families that need further assistance, give me their details and we will get in touch," she said.