1100hrs 23 February 2011

The Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management Group has established a Christchurch Earthquake Fund to receive donations in the Waikato.

Members of the public will be able to make donations direct to account number 06 0317 0096442 05 or take donations to local council offices. When local council offices forward donations to the account, the area they come from will be logged so that each area’s total made through council offices can be publicised. Councils forwarding funds to the account are asked to identify where they are coming from.

Meanwhile, a 12-strong urban search and rescue team from Waikato’s Southern emergency operating area has arrived in Christchurch to help with the relief effort. The Group has also offered to supply 14 welfare and emergency operating centre staff, as well as five public information managers, if requested by the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management. Waikato offers of help are being coordinated through the Group Emergency Coordination Centre based at Environment Waikato.

Waikato people are also being asked to make available, for up to a month, holiday homes or other accommodation that could be used to temporarily house people made homeless by the quake. People offering accommodation should contact their local council offices. Offers of housing assistance will again be coordinated by the GECC at civildefence@ew.govt.nz.

ENDS

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