Kaikōura earthquake

• On this page:

• Assistance and support available
• Repairs
• Support package for uninsurable damage—Earthquake Relief Fund
• Temporary accommodation
• Repairs
• Flexible tax arrangements
• Road access and travel
• The Earthquake Commission
• Fisheries closures

MPI continues to work closely with rural communities and sector organisations around Kaikōura, Hurunui and Marlborough.

Call now on 800 32 76 46 (0800 FARMING) to lodge requests for help on the farm, or to offer your help as a volunteer or worker.Call 0800 32 76 46 (0800 FARMING) to lodge requests for help on the farm, or to offer your help as a volunteer or worker.

Find out more – Beehive website

Other resources available to those who need them

• Contact your local Rural Support Trust on 0800 RURAL HELP for a free, private and confidential chat. A Trust representative can come to see you and, if needed, point you in the right direction for further help.
• A government helpline is open for calls about all government support available, on 0800 77 99 97 from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
• If your circumstances have changed as a result of the earthquake, talk to your accountant, bank, and Work and Income to see what other help for which youhelp you may be eligible.eligible for.

Managing your financial and mental wellbeing
Kaikōura earthquakes – support and assistance
Support following 14 November earthquakes – Work and Income website
Find volunteer health and safety resources – Beef + Lamb NZ website

Earthquake recovery events calendar

• Download a list of events and meetings being held

Earthquake Relief Fund for uninsurable damage to primary industries

• The Government has announced $4 million towards a primary industries earthquake relief fund for uninsurable infrastructure repairs as a result of the 14 November 2016 earthquake.
• All earthquake-affected farmers, fishers and growers in the Hurunui, Kaikōura and Marlborough districts can apply for a grant.
• Grants will be a contribution towards repairs but will not completely cover costs.

Primary industries' earthquake relief fund – Marlborough district council website

'Primary industry' for the purpose of a relief fund grant includes:

• the primary production of poultry, meat, wool, or dairy products
• sharemilking
• arable farming, horticulture, viticulture, forestry, market gardening
• an orchard, herb or flower growing,
• apiculture
• aquaculture and fishing (including pāua, crayfish, finfish)

It does not include hobby farming (such as lifestyle blocks).

The fund is to assist rural people whose principal income comes from a primary industry which is either well-established or in the developmental stage.

The funding may only be allocated in the form of a grant to help pay for costs associated with:

• restoring uninsurable primary sector infrastructure
• re-establishing uninsurable pasture (on cultivatable land only), crops, and forestry
• initial clean-up of silt and debris (where uninsurable).

This could include: on-farm access roads, tracks, races, bridges without sides, dams and reservoirs, as these are generally uninsurable.

Details of what the grants will cover

• Priority will be given to essential repairs to continue farming, such as roadside boundary fencing, boundary fencing, access tracks and stock water supplies.
• Any grant will be a contribution towards repairs, up to a maximum of 50% of the cost.
• The damage must exceed $12,000 in total for you to be considered for assistance.
• An excess of $5000 will be deducted from the 50% that is eligible for funding. The amount awarded may be adjusted if eligible funding requests exceed the $4 million available.
• The maximum any one entity could receive from the fund is $50,000.
• Funding may be available where the cost of repairs (for example to fences, water reticulation) exceeds the limited cover provided by insurance. Applicants will need to deduct any insured amount that can be claimed from insurers.
• Funding is not available for repairs that can be insured, but were not.

What you should repair now

• You don't have to have repairs completed before applying for a grant.
• Due to the large quantity of damage the earthquake caused, the total cost of repairs is expected to be greater than the $4 million available. People are advised to make any repairs they can afford now rather than waiting and expecting to receive a grant.

How to apply

Keep or gather any evidence or information you have about the cost of repairs, and that they are uninsurable.

Fill in the application form

Send in the form by 28 February 2017 to:

Email:pierf@marlborough.govt.nz
Post: PI Earthquake Relief Fund
Marlborough District Council
15 Seymour Street
PO Box 443
Blenheim 7240

Where can I get help with my application?

• If you do not know if your repairs are insured or not, you will need to talk to your insurer.
• If you have any questions contact your local Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254 (0800 RURAL HELP).

When will I find out if I am successful?

• Decisions will be made by 31 March 2017 and you will be advised of the outcome of your application shortly after. In some urgent cases you may be contacted before the deadline.

Find out more

Read the Kaikōura Earthquake Relief Fund Factsheet

Temporary accommodation

The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE's) temporary accommodation service is available for people in both rural and urban areas whose primary residence has been damaged by the earthquake. MBIE uses undamaged private market accommodation and looks at solutions when there is no supply.

Rawhiti Domain Units are offered for sale to earthquake-hit farmers for their residual book value of around $25,000 (plus costs of relocation, services, consents). Of 20 units, 13 are available now.

Farmers needing any form of temporary accommodation or interested in a unit should apply to MBIE or call 0800 67 32 27 as soon as possible.

Apply for temporary accommodation – MBIE website

Repairs

• Don't wait to make essential repairs.
• Contact your insurer as soon as possible.
• Document, photograph, and keep receipts for work carried out.

Flexible tax arrangements

Flexible tax arrangements are available in some cases if you've been affected by the earthquake, including:

late deposits and early withdrawals for affected farmers and fisherswaiving interest and penalties for late filing and payments of taxGST exemption for Ministry of Social Development (MSD) pay-outs to employers.

Talk to your accountant for details, or contact Inland Revenue:

Inland Revenue website Phone 0800 473 566.

Road access and travel

The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is managing all roads in and around the affected areas.  

Travel information for Canterbury and Marlborough regions – NZTA website

For more information, contact the NZTA:

• call 0800 44 44 49
• or email EQSHRoadInfo@nzta.govt.nz

The Earthquake Commission (EQC)

Customers have until 14 February 2017 to lodge a claim with their private, which will also be passed to EQC. Where customers have already lodged home building or contents claims with EQC, these will be passed onto their insurer by EQC so there is no need for people to make another call.

You can contact the EQC on 0800 DAMAGE (0800 32 62 43).

• More information on the EQC website

Fisheries closures

Closures are in place for 3 areas affected by the earthquake. Detailed information is available on each area's fishing rules page:

• Challenger
• Kaikōura
• South-East

General guidance

• Planning for adverse events
• Resources for adverse events
• To find out what other assistance you may qualify for, call the Government's general helpline on 0800 77 99 97 – it's open 7am to 9pm every day

Who to contact

If you have questions about the information on this web page or our response to this event:

• email info@mpi.govt.nz
• call 0800 00 83 33.

For all media enquiries, call 029 89 40 328 or email  media@mpi.govt.nz