Govt aid to flood victims

Press, 28 April 1981, Page 2

Govt aid to flood victims

Parliamentary reporter

The Government will give up to $250,000 to help people distressed by the flooding in Thames, Coromandel, Paeroa, and the Hauraki Plains. The Minister of Local Government and Civil Defence (Mr Highet) said yesterday that $250,000 was the maximum set by the Government on the $1 for $1 subsidy on all funds raised by public appeal.

"This limit was set after consultation with the Mayor of Paeroa, Mr P. J. E. Leigh, and we are certain that the Thames Valley Flood Relief Trust Committee will find this upper limit satisfactory,” Mr Highet said.

“I would also like to remind the public that donations to the flood relief fund will be tax deductible within the normal limits,” he said.

The Government would also "look sympathetically” at helping local authorities financially embarrassed as a direct result of the floods. “But it will take some time to assess the full costs involved,” he said. The Minister of Housing (Mr Quigley) has also said that the Housing Corporation will help those home owners affected by the floods. “Those people who need to borrow because of a lack of insurance on their house will be offered loan assistance under the existing home improvement policy on standard terms. "The corporation could meet up to 100 per cent of the cost of remedial work on the house. Finance will not be provided for replacing such things as carpets and chattels,” Mr Quigley said. The corporation would grant loans on standard terms, to home owners who could not reoccupy their properties because of a demolition order or some other special factor. The . Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) will visit Thames and Paeroa on Thursday. Mr Muldoon, who was due to visit Tauranga on Thursday, said he had decided to visit the flood area and accordingly would leave Wellington earlier to visit the townships on his way to Tauranga.