Monday, 19 July, 2004

Turner pitches in; calls for Govt to match flood relief donations

United Future Bay of Plenty MP Judy Turner, who is today pitching in at a Whakatane flood evacuation centre, has called on the Government to match public donations for the victims of the weekend flooding in the Bay.

"And we don't have to wait until after a prime ministerial fly-over and survey of the scene at 10,000 feet to make that sort of call," Mrs Turner said, who has spent the day registering incoming evacuees, said. Parts of Whakatane and much of the Rangitaiki Plains are still under water and around 1500 people have been evacuated from their homes.

Floodwater is continuing to pour across the lower Rangitaiki Plains, forcing more people out of their homes today. Mrs Turner said that she had no doubt that New Zealanders' history of generosity towards those hit by disaster would again come to the fore, and that the Government should match any donations dollar-for-dollar, on top of any other aid that needed to be rendered.

The Government responded positively to the United Future initiative of a dollar-for-dollar contribution after massive flooding in February.

ENDS

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