Waves crash over Paihia Wharf’s marlin statue in massive swells generated by Cyclone Gabrielle in February. The Far North was hit hard by the cyclone and other extreme weather events earlier this year, and people can now apply for funding to help with recovery and build resilience.
Waves crash over Paihia Wharf’s marlin statue in massive swells generated by Cyclone Gabrielle in February. The Far North was hit hard by the cyclone and other extreme weather events earlier this year, and people can now apply for funding to help with recovery and build resilience.
The Far North can apply for Government funding to ensure access to support in regions affected by the extreme weather events earlier this year.
On Tuesday, the Government launched a recovery plan it says will help to future-proof weather-impacted regions.
The plan will ensure greater co-ordination, provision of and access to support in regions affected by the extreme weather events earlier this year, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni said.
“We have a plan to make sure people’s needs will continue to be met as we recover from Cyclone Gabrielle, the Auckland flooding and other severe weather across the North Island,” Sepuloni said.
“We know that the psychosocial effects of disasters are very real and that most people who go through a disaster or extreme weather event have heightened stress and anxiety.
“On top of the mental health support announced already for affected regions, the Government will also provide support for volunteers and community workers suffering burnout, and personalised support and referral pathways for people who own land that has been classified as risk level Category 2 [and/or] 3.
Ashton Edwards, six, with his parents Tane and Monique and the gum trees Cyclone Gabrielle pulled down on to their Waipapa home in February.
“We are also putting further support in place for students who’ve missed school so they can catch up on lost learning, and education and training for providers to support whānau, rangatahi and tamariki with anxiety and mental wellbeing.” She said the Government will also put in the resource needed to build the resilience, preparedness and strength of community and iwi organisations so they’re prepared for future events.
“We have learned lessons following the Canterbury earthquakes, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Buller floods, and want to emphasise the importance of work focused on long-term recovery from large-scale disasters.
“Having a plan is important because it makes sure we are investing not only in the immediate recovery of these regions, but in the longer-term livelihoods of all those affected as well.
“Consultation has taken place so that agencies can understand the specific needs of each region. These insights were used to understand and inform where support was most needed so it can be delivered in the best, most efficient and meaningful way going forward.”
The overarching recovery plan provides a framework for a co-ordinated cross-agency approach to social recovery, bringing together existing and new actions into a comprehensive package that responds to identified areas of need. Actions cover the next two years and are intended to support regional priorities and the delivery of regional recovery plans.
A tagged contingency of $30 million was secured through the Budget 2023 North Island Weather Events Response and Recovery Package and will be used to support implementation. The first round of contingency funding ($20.65m) will target support towards regions and population groups where existing levels of investment are not sufficient to meet emerging needs.
The Social Sector Recovery Plan includes:
$3m of targeted funding for community activities to support communities (particularly rural and isolated communities) to build optimism, increase their protective factors and build resilience through coming together, such as for local events;
$5m for schools and kura to provide teaching and tutoring programmes and iwi/community providers to target new programmes to Māori and Pacific students to ensure ākonga are supported to catch up on lost learning post-weather events;
$1.5m of support through the Community and Volunteering Capability Fund to provide wellbeing support to volunteers and community workers suffering burnout in Te Tai Tokerau, Auckland, Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay.
