More than 500 individual offers from machines to beds, and even cakes in wake of quake

Well in excess of five hundred individual offers of support have been made to Civil Defence in Waimakariri to help with the clean-up and repair effort in the district in the wake of Saturday’s big shake.

Upwards of a hundred people have had to leave their homes and water and sewerage supplies have been severely disrupted.

Council staff and contractors have been joined by hundreds of helpers, from periodic detention workers, university students, colleagues from neighbouring authorities, the army to people who have literally walked off the street with wheelbarrows to help with clearing the silt and debris, and to help man welfare centres.
As well, 120 companies from as far afield as Wanganui, and even one from the U.K have offered help with equipment including dingoes, diggers, bobcats, generators and even helicopters.

There have been more than 130 offers of accommodation, including from people impacted themselves by the quake, from those offering to have their own children share a room to free up a bedroom for another family to a Christian camp which can sleep up to 100.

On top of that there have been 330 other offers of help varying from those happy to check on people living alone, chat with the elderly who may be alone and worried, to act as drivers, or provide showers.

Truckloads of food have ‘literally’ been pouring in. Apart from individual donations a truckload of food has been sent following an Ashburton radio station appeal and a refrigerated truck of fruit and meat has come down from Nelson.

Mayor Ron Keating, who lives with wife Shona on the outskirts of Kaiapoi which has been hardest hit by the shake, says the response has been nothing short of phenomenal.

“We have had tremendous support both from within our own community and from all over New Zealand. Our communities have shown an incredible spirit and are pulling together to do what they can for each other. I have just been blown away by it all.”

There has been a huge effort over the past few days to clean up the physical environment in the worst hit areas and with much of the initial clean up complete and water and sewerage largely restored the attention is now shifting from emergency response to ongoing community recovery and engagement.
Mayor Keating says the district is, however, going to be in need of ongoing assistance for some time to come.

“There is still a lot of work to be done and plenty of need for the ongoing services of volunteers who can continue to help through the recovery.

“For people in our own communities who are not badly affected, we need your help over the coming weeks and months. While there are still plenty of people offering to help this week, we need to capture this goodwill and harness it over the days to come.”

Anyone wishing to help in the clean up and recovery is asked to leave their details with the Waimakariri district council offices in Rangiora, 03 311 8900 including what skills they have and when they are available to help.

“We are not out of the woods yet, not by a long way, either in terms of the physical works but also the emotional needs of our community.

“A lot of our people are distressed and traumatised. Many are worried about jobs, money, food, paying the mortgage and rent, having a safe and comfortable place to live.

“Their welfare will continue to be a concern to us for quite some time.”

Mayor Keating says even if some volunteer services are not required immediately, it would help the council to know there is a pool of people available as needed.

Volunteers had to register with the Council to confirm what they can do to help and what times they are available to help the relief effort.

Anyone feeling vulnerable or unwell is being encouraged to make their way to the welfare centre at the Kaiapoi Rugby Football Clubrooms in Sewell Street, or to contact the Council by telephone

They will be open over the weekend from 7.30 every morning.

www.waimakariri.govt.nz