Showing our support for Wairoa

South Taranaki Mayor Phil Nixon is asking the community to help one of the areas most devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle last month.

Mayor Nixon says in the wake of the cyclone, South Taranaki District Council decided to help Wairoa, which coincided nicely with LGNZ’s Adopt-a-Community initiative.

“Wairoa is a rural community much like ours and was severely affected by Cyclone Gabrielle,” he says. “We’re reopening the South Taranaki Mayoral Relief Fund and will be talking directly to Wairoa District Council to see where exactly they want the money to go.”

Council staff have already raised over $1,000 to contribute to the fund and some have volunteered to go to the worst-hit areas to help with the recovery efforts.

“Please donate in any way that you can. Every contribution, no matter how big or small, will certainly help this devastated community. You might organise your workplace to hold a casual Friday, a bake sale, or some other fundraising event. 100% of money donated into the South Taranaki Mayoral Relief Fund will be donated to Wairoa,” says Mayor Nixon.

“We know from experience that getting communities back on their feet, is a marathon not a sprint,” he says. “That’s especially true with a disaster of this scale. So, let’s show Wairoa some love.”

You can donate funds to the South Taranaki Mayoral Relief Fund through online banking - TSB Bank, 15-3950-0543934-00 with the reference ‘Wairoa’ or you can bring a cash donation into the Hāwera Administration Building or to your local LibraryPlus.