The June 20 floods in the Taranaki area meant farmers were faced with repair bills. However, they are now being given access to more than $400,000 in additional relief funding.
The Government announced the funding last month and will be allocated by the Taranaki Disaster Relief Committee made up of district mayors and the Chairman of the Taranaki Regional Council, David MacLeod.
MacLeod says, “We’ll aim to have grants approved by early December so the money can get to where it’s needed before the end of the year. We’re keen to move as quickly as we can. The flood event had a big impact – farmers might expect to be hit by such extraordinary damage only once or twice in a lifetime.”
The money has come out of a grant for rural infrastructure repair in Taranaki, Whanganui and Manawatū. A total of $416,000 has been allocated to Taranaki.