This week we had a visit from the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, where she was shown a presentation of the recent damage caused in the Buller area due to the February flooding event.
In response the Prime Minister announced a $500K support grant under the Taskforce Green scheme to assist with support for clean up of waste and damage to rural properties. Read more here.
February Weather Event Welfare Assessments:
MPI and BDC are currently in the process of completing welfare assessments from the severe weather event in February.
To date we have 4 Red stickered houses and 21 Yellow stickered houses. Some are homes that were previously flooded and the others are homes North of Westport as far north as Karamea. MPI are still assessing the extent of damage to farming properties in the region.
Insurance:
There have been a growing number of people with concerns around cancelled insurance policies. If you have concerns about ongoing insurance coverage please contact the Residential Advisory Service or make an appointment through the Community Hub by phoning 0800 768 348.
Temporary Houses:
We are in the final stages of completing the houses both in Queen Street and Stafford Street. If all goes according plan, we hope to have the houses all occupied by late March. Thanks to the many volunteers and the contractors who have helped us get this far!
Without further ado, see below for all other updates and news this week. Wishing you a safe and sunny weekend.
Nāku noa, nā
Did you miss last weeks update? Catch up on all the news here.
MEDIA RELEASE – 24 FEBRUARY
APPOINTMENTS CONFIRMED FOR WESTPORT JOINT COMMITTEE
Long time Westport resident, Hugh McMillan, has been appointed as independent chair on the Westport Joint Committee. Jodi Murray and Dan Moloney have also been confirmed as the community representatives on the Joint Committee.
The purpose of the Joint Committee is to review the annual work plan for Westport flood protection provided to it by Regional Council staff, consider any independent expert advice and make informed recommendations to the Regional Council for final decision. Read more…
Media release – 25 February
Identifying Long-Term Flood Resilience Options For Westport
The Buller Recovery Steering Group has established a cross-agency project to investigate long-term flood resilience options for Westport and its surrounds. The project will identify and recommend an integrated package of measures that will be put forward for possible funding through a co-investment approach with Government.
The Steering Group will report back to elected Council members by the end of June 2022. Read more…
FREE EVENT | NBS Theatre 2nd March | Bookings Essential
UPDATE: TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE
Due to a cancellation, we now have 20 extra tickets to the John Kirwan event next Tuesday. Click here to reserve your seat.
lOOKING AFTER YOURSELF with Westpac Ambassador SIR JOHN KIRWAN
Come along and listen to Sir John Kirwan’s (JK) story along with some of the tools he has used to stay well during challenging times.
A world class winger, JK’s contribution to rugby, both as a player and a coach, has been immense. JK is one of the highest try scorers in international rugby union history and still holds a couple of NZ rugby records. The other side of the story is while he was scoring tries and becoming a rugby legend, he was also battling depression.
For those who unable to attend in person the event will also be streamed live on Facebook. See here for more information.
Please note the NBS Theatre is a double vax venue, attendees will be required to show their ‘my vaccine pass’ on entry and comply with Covid19 guidelines.
COMMUNITY KITCHEN
February 1st marked the opening of Westport’s Community Kitchen, where hot meals were provided to flood affected residents.
This week in its 4th week of service, we caught up with the team behind the Community Kitchen and some local residents enjoying the healthy meals provided.
The weekly hot dinner service has been warmly welcomed and much appreciated, with numbers of those registered increasing over the past month. Read more…
Were you affected by the February flooding event?
Free advice is available through the Residential Advisory Service (RAS). “Many people need some experienced independent advice when working through their insurance claims. They don’t deal with this every day, but we do.” – RAS adviser Nik Behrens. Get in touch & read more…
Support from outside the region
NZ Gifts of Love and Strength – have collected donations from around Christchurch of non-perishable food items, cleaning products and children’s colouring books and pencils.
A Motueka Craft Group are currently collecting craft items from their members – quilts, knitting, sewing etc for Buller Flood affected households.
The Flood Recovery team are once again overwhelmed by these acts of kindness from outside of the Buller Region. The donated goods will be distributed through the Community Hub, Poutini Waiora Navigators, the Rural Support Trust and the Flood Recovery Team.
Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all who have donated both in recent weeks and in the months after the July floods.
UNITE AGAINST COVID19
New Zealand entering next phase of Omicron response:
With daily case numbers forecast to rise sharply over the next few weeks, NZ is moving to the next phase of our Omicron response. Read more…
Are you In the midst of renovations or still waiting for them to begin?
Renovating your house can be a stressful experience at the best of times, let alone managing a repair due to a natural disaster where you are displaced and face a lot of uncertainty.
Last year we spoke to Andrew Larson, Licenced Building Practitioner of Craft Building NZ Limited to ask for tips on how best to manage a repair situation and get the best outcome for you and your home.
NEED HELP? PH 0800 768 348
All are welcome at The Community Hub.
Whether you have been impacted directly, or are interested to learn more about the recovery effort, pop down to the community hub for a cuppa and a chin wag.
The Community Hub is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am-4.00pm. Phone 0800 768 348 for assistance outside normal opening hours.
