Horowhenua District Council Mayor, Bernie Wanden has today activated the Mayoral Relief Fund to support residents and whānau who have been financially impacted by the recent severe weather and prolonged power outages across the district.
Mayor Wanden says the decision recognises the real pressure many households are facing following days of disruption, food spoilage, property damage, and unexpected costs.
“This weather event has been incredibly challenging for many in our community, particularly over the holiday period. While recovery efforts are well underway, we know some residents may need immediate financial support to help them get back on their feet,” Mayor Wanden said.
Mayoral Relief Fund - Financial Assistance
If you were impacted by this severe weather event, you may qualify for financial assistance from the Mayoral Relief Fund. The application form is now available online or from Monday 5 January in person at Council’s Civic Building to complete and our Community Development Team are on hand to help from this time, call us on 06 366 0999 or come in to see one of the team.
The Mayoral Relief Fund is intended to provide short-term financial assistance to individuals, families, groups and organisations impacted by the weather event on 29-30 December 2025. It's hoped that the grant will go some way towards helping alleviate the emotional and financial stress experienced by some individuals and whānau due to the weather event.
Assistance may be given to fund:
- Damaged property
- Essentials for daily life
- Costs not covered by insurance
- Where there is financial burden due to the weather event
Criteria and relevant information
- Applications must be connected with the 29-30 December weather event and within the Horowhenua District
- Each application will be dealt with on its own merits
- Only one application per household or organisation
- Grants will be one-off only
- When funds are granted, they must be used for the purpose outlined in the application submitted
- Applicants will need to declare if they have received financial or other assistance ie: from Work and Income – financial assistance, food parcels, or funding from any other organisation in relation to this event (funding source to be specified.)
- Council will meet its legislative obligations under the Privacy Act 2020 with regard to protecting your information provided in the application.
- Initially, as people apply, we may grant up to $1,000. We will reassess how much funding is available and may allocate any remaining money to applicants. The Committee has the discretion to award higher amounts, where it is justified and proven.
Applications closed
Applications closed at 12pm on Friday 9 2026.
The Mayoral Relief Fund was open for applications for emergency assistance for individuals, families, groups and community organisations.
Application process:
- Applications must be connected with the 29-30 December weather event and within the Horowhenua District
- Each application will be dealt with on its own merits
- Only one application per household or organisation
- Grants will be one-off only
- When funds are granted, they must be used for the purpose outlined in the application submitted
- Applicants will need to declare if they have received financial or other assistance ie: from Work and Income – financial assistance, food parcels, or funding from any other organisation in relation to this event (funding source to be specified.)
- Council will meet its legislative obligations under the Privacy Act 2020 with regard to protecting your information provided in the application.
- Initially, as people apply, we may grant up to $1,000. We will reassess how much funding is available and may allocate any remaining money to applicants. The Committee has the discretion to award higher amounts, where it is justified and proven.
For more information please contact Council on 06 366 0999, we can help you with any questions you may have.