September 17th, 2024
The government has approved an additional $25 million to support businesses affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, bringing the total aid for businesses to over $75 million. The extra funds aim to assist more companies in the cyclone-hit regions with clean-up efforts and to restore operations.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said on Tuesday that the priority has been to help businesses recover quickly from the cyclone's impact, working closely with local agencies on the ground. Demand for grants has been high, with applications exceeding the initial $50 million business support package. To meet the increased demand, an extra $22 million is required, as approximately 5,800 applications have been received.
The additional funding will enable more businesses to receive support, up to the $40,000 per-business limit. Like the previous funding, it will be managed at a local level by approved providers.
Robertson noted that the distribution of additional funding between regions would be based on the latest available data, with ministers committed to focusing on areas where the need is greatest. Applications for funding under this process will close by the end of April.
The government has been dedicated to helping individuals and businesses recover from the cyclone. To date, it has provided support through various initiatives, including $250 million for Waka Kotahi and local councils to assess and fix roads, $74 million for affected farmers and growers, $5 million to Mayoral Relief Funds, more than $65.8 million in Civil Defence Payments, and $15 million for short-term relief to support Māori communities.
A Cyclone Taskforce, chaired by Sir Brian Roche, has also been established to align locally led recovery plans with government and private sector initiatives.