Whanganui mayor visits flood-affected communities

Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe with Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst

Whanganui residents have dug deep to support Hawke’s Bay communities that have been impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, and this week Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe visited the region to offer support on behalf of his community.

Over the past months, the people of Whanganui raised almost $90,000 that was put into the Hastings Mayoral Relief fund and distributed to support a range of impacted individuals and organisations assisting with the response and recovery efforts.

Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said it was wonderful to have Mr Tripe in Hastings to see the impact of the cyclone for himself after having co-ordinated the collection of donations from Whanganui residents eager to support those who had been affected by the cyclone

“Many of our community have accessed this generous donation for cleaning up houses and silt and much more – we are so grateful for this support to help our community get through this very tough time.”

Funding recipients ranged from the Hawke’s Bay Clean Up Crew to One Voice Community Services Trust, Meal Drive Hawke’s Bay, Waiohiki Arts Village and the Puketapu School Parent League.

Mr Tripe, who visited Pakowhai and Esk Valley today and talked to some affected locals, said his own community’s experiences meant he knew it was not just about the immediate response, that it was during the recovery that the real mahi happened.

“Whanganui has a long association with the people of Hawke’s Bay – it’s a devastating time for Hawke’s Bay and Hastings and it’s great for us to give back.

“Our district has had its own share of weather events in the past so we know what it feels like, and our community wanted to find ways to respond.

“I went down the street with collection buckets and not one person declined to donate. Businesses also contributed and were happy to do so in these tough times for the people of Hawke’s Bay and Hastings.”

Over the past five months a total of $339,105 had been raised and deposited into the Hastings Mayoral Relief Fund. Of that, $280,815 had been committed to date to support 61 local people or projects.

13 July 2023

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