A Rotary Club initiative has seen six dehumidifiers donated to the Wairoa community.

Creating hope was the message behind the Rotary project that saw the delivery of dehumidifiers and other equipment to help Wairoa flood-impacted people following the June 2024 flooding.

The dehumidifiers were made possible through a Rotary Foundation special Disaster Relief Fund and will play an important role in supporting community recovery and resilience during and after severe weather events.

The Stortford Lodge Rotary Club of Hastings, in conjunction with the Wairoa Rotary Club, wanted to support the Wairoa district and felt the 90L Remington Power Red Line dehumidifiers and associated equipment were the best way to help with Wairoa's post-flood needs.

Initially, the Stortford Lodge Rotary Club thought it was appropriate to retain ownership of the dehumidifiers and lend them to where the need was greatest.

However, the conditions of the funding are that the clubs need to donate the equipment, which resulted in the gift to the Wairoa community.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said the partnership approach from the Stortford Lodge and Wairoa Rotary Clubs was really thoughtful.

"I know when these dehumidifiers initially came to town, they were vital in helping people dry out their homes," Mayor Little said.

"Thank you to all our Rotary whānau for your generosity and support.

"Your kindness will make a real difference for our district.

"While we live in hope that we won't need this type of equipment again, if we do, we now have the resource we need right on our doorstep."

Mayor Little said the dehumidifiers will be stored by the Council and will be available for use upon request.

CAPTION: A big thanks to the Stortford Lodge Rotary Club of Hastings, in conjunction with the Wairoa Rotary Club, for donating six dehumidifiers to the Wairoa community.

Pictured is Ken Haines (Stortford Lodge Rotary), Gerard Bryant (Stortford Lodge Rotary Treasurer), Susan Rodney (Wairoa Rotary), Benita Tahuri (Wairoa Emergency Management Officer), Deidre Jones (Wairoa Rotary Secretary), Matt Lawson (CEO, Wairoa District Council), Stuart Knauf (Stortford Lodge Rotary President), Craig Little (Mayor of Wairoa), and Juanita Savage (Chief of Operations, Wairoa District Council).

26 January 2026

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