$380,000 in vouchers distributed
MORE than $380,000 in grocery vouchers has been handed out in the Queenstown Lakes district by the council’s emergency operations centre.
More than threequarters of those seeking help were migrant workers or on holiday visas.
Last week the council said more than 5000 people in the district had registered for welfare assistance since the Covid19 Alert Level 4 lockdown began at 11.59pm on March 25.
Council communications manager Naell CrosbyRoe said as at April 14, which was the last summarised data available, 72% of those applicants were on work visas and 9% on holiday visas.
The rest were New Zealand citizens or residents.
The majority of applicants — 41% — were Asian, 33% were European, 23% Middle Eastern, Latin American or African, 2% were from the Pacific and 1% were Maori.
No information was available on the previous employment of those applicants.
Mr CrosbyRoe said the council was underwriting the cost of all grocery vouchers at present, but would seek reimbursement through the National Emergency Management Agency.
The value of the voucher depended on the needs of those applying, ‘‘for example, whether it is an individual, couple, or family’’.
‘‘It is intended to provide sufficient support for seven to 10 days.’’
Welfare manager Simon Battrick told RNZ because of the district’s reliance on tourism, some businesses had gone, almost immediately, from high revenue to ‘‘almost nothing’’.
‘‘As part of that, they’re unable to pay their staff, so often the visa holders are the first ones to get laid off . . . We’ve got a group of people who were, probably, on the lower end of the pay scale, who have got literally nothing.
‘‘They’re looking at the next couple of weeks and saying ‘how do I pay my bills?’.’’
Mr Battrick told RNZ the council was already planning how to support those members of the community ‘‘if the money from central government dries up’’.