Aerial footage has captured the wide-scale devastation caused by intense flooding in Westport, on the West Coast this weekend.
The footage taken from a helicopter flyover with Acting Emergency Management Minister Kris Faafoi on board, shows houses inundated with muddied water as clean-up efforts got underway today.
High river levels combined with flooding, fallen trees and slips largely halted travel around the top of the South Island yesterday, while several towns were cut off after floodwaters closed off access roads.
The Government today announced it had set aside $600,000 in total funding to help those affected by the adverse weather.
The funding includes an initial contribution of $300,000 towards a Buller Mayoral Relief Fund and another $100,000 towards a similar fund for Marlborough, Faafoi and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said today in a joint press release.
The wild weather has been classified by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) as a medium-scale event, unlocking a further $200,000 for flood-affected farmers and growers across the West Coast and Marlborough regions.
O'Connor said the extra funding will be used to help farmers recover, and includes wellbeing support, specialist technical advice and other flood assistance.
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