Waikato District Council is reaching out to businesses in our district who have been impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle to encourage and support applications for the central government Business Recovery Grant.
At times like this we know business operators are often busy and overwhelmed. So, if you need to speak to someone about the help that is available for your business or if you require some support to access this, we encourage you to please reach out to one of our friendly Economic Development Advisors (contact details below).
Have questions? Give us a call on 0800 492 452, or via the direct contact details below, and we’ll do our best to help.
Emma RankinEconomic Development AdvisorEmail: emma.rankin@waidc.govt.nzPhone: 021 220 6316
Kelvin ForsmanEconomic Development AdvisorEmail: kelvin.forsman@waidc.govt.nzPhone: 027 271 2424
If you’re in need of business financial support, there are a variety of options available, including:
In a direct response to the adverse weather events in early 2023, the Central Government has announced the creation of the Cyclone Gabrielle Business Recovery Grant. This fund will be administered by Thames Coromandel District Council but is open to all businesses in the Waikato region that meet the criteria.
An independent panel has been set up to assess all applications.
To be eligible for this funding you must meet the following criteria:
Fund applications close Friday 31 March 2023. Apply here.
Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment support
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment have set up a dedicated website with tools and expert advice from government and industry, designed to help businesses succeed. View more at business.govt.nz.
Information for businesses affected by the extreme weather events, including looking after your employees, insurance claims and more is available here.
If you or your employees are feeling overwhelmed or anxious, there is free help available. Check out these resources on mental health and wellbeing support or phone one of the numbers below.
Farmers and growers can apply for recovery support. Grants of up to $10,000 for pastoral and arable farmers and up to $2,000 per hectare (capped at $40,0000) to remove silt from trees and vines are available.
Find out more on the Ministry of Primary Industries website.
Soda is the Waikato-based team delivering the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment’s Regional Business Partner Programme. This is a free programme to support small to medium businesses to grow and innovate. A Regional Business Partner, Soda’s focus is on how they can help businesses get back on their feet after Cyclone Gabrielle.
If you think you would benefit from a free one-on-one chat with one of their business advisors, please email Kate.
More information about the free regional business partner network programme and how this could assist your business can be found on their website here.
Pakihi Māori (Māori Business) support can be found through the following organisations:
The Recovery Visa (a Specific Purpose Work Visa), will allow employers to sponsor migrants to come to New Zealand for a specific event or purpose, including working on an emergency response.
The initial visa will last up to 6 months. The $700 fee will be refunded for successful applicants.
The Recovery Visa couldn’t come at a better time for businesses working through how they will recover and rebuild from this month’s extreme weather. In the Waikato, this will be particularly helpful for the Coromandel, Port Waikato and Raglan communities.
Find out more here.
The Mayoral Disaster Relief Fund is open to Waikato District Council residents, ratepayers or small business owners, and not-for-profit organisations who have suffered financial hardship because of damages caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Find out more.
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