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More than $13 million destined for the country’s cyclone recovery effort is sitting in a bank account collecting dust.��

The Government’s Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Fund received more than $1.7m in public donations, bolstered by $11.7m from the special Lotto draw in March - plus some interest.��

The Department of Internal Affairs has told RNZ the money in the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Fund (CGAF) will not be open for applications until early next year.��

But those who know their communities best - like Ngāti Kahungunu chairman Bayden Barber - say those who were affected needed that money now.��

“Anything to do with the relief fund for Cyclone Gabrielle needs to be put out there ASAP,” Barber said.��

“I mean, it just doesn’t make much sense to hold off having that fund open until next year, you know, that’s months away.”��

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst agreed, saying other funding streams were drying up.��

“I’m being contacted almost daily, being asked by community organisations to help with our cyclone-impacted communities, to find ways in which we can support them,” Hazlehurst said.��

“I just know how far this money would go if we could get the money into the communities right now.”��

There was a catch, though - the bulk of the money that came from Lotto had to be distributed in accordance with the Gambling Act, meaning it could only go towards “community purposes”.��

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It was not for individuals or businesses to help their clean-up, or to be used for infrastructure work.��

The fund was administered by three trustees: Department of Internal Affairs chief executive Paul James, former Napier mayor Barbara Arnott and Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou chairman Selwyn Parata.��

Arnott said the modest amount of money would be “icing on the cake” for communities once they had the chance to consider what they needed most.��

“We’re there for the community to have a look around and say, ‘Look, we need a footbridge to connect us from one side of that stream to another’, or ‘We need a new playground’, or ‘We need a new oven for the hall’.��

“But until things have settled down and people know where they are themselves, then that money will be spent after that.”��

But Arnott admitted she was not confident holding on to the money was the right call - because some communities were ready and needed help now.��

She said that would be discussed when the trust met again in October.��

“And if we see that communities do need that, there’s no impetus not to give money out, if it’s needed right away.”��