Nearly $300,000 in donations have been given to community groups after January’s severe weather.

The Western Bay Emergency Response Fund has distributed almost all of its $293,000 in donations.

The largest grant is $110,000 for Mauao restoration through the Mauao Trust, which holds the title to the mountain on behalf of its three iwi owners.

The trust is a registered charity.

It comes after a blessing last week marked the start of the restoration work on Mauao after the January storm.

Heavy rain brought down more than 40 slips, including one that took the lives of six holidaymakers at the campground below.

Mauao has been closed since but the trust and Tauranga City Council have started work to restore access to the summit track network.

This was expected to take about four months, weather permitting.

Acorn Foundation, with TECT, BayTrust, the city council, and Western Bay of Plenty District Council, set up the fund in response to the storm.

Another $170,000 it collected has gone to frontline recovery groups, and the final $13,000 is expected to be distributed by the end of June.

The fund was created to help charitable organisations deliver critical community services.

Acorn said all contributions came from companies and community donors, with no public money involved.

Zespri made the largest donation at $100,000.

Other major donors included Port of Tauranga, giving $30,000 and Star Hospitality, donating more than $11,000.

Craigs Investment Partners, One NZ Foundation, Tax Traders, DMS, and The Golf Classic each donated $10,000.

The five organisations behind the fund worked with community groups to identify urgent gaps and distribute money.

Response fund team lead Matty Nicholson said in a media release recovery across the region was ongoing, but community generosity had helped organisations move forward.

“That spirit of community will carry us forward over the coming months as the mahi begins to restore the maunga.”

He said the fund was not designed to cover losses or expenses that were, or should reasonably be, met by central, regional, or local government.

The Acorn Foundation was legally limited to supporting organisations with a charitable purpose.

Mayoral funds set up by the two councils could support individuals and business, Nicholson said.

Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service had to move after its building was red-stickered.

Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service was given $33,919 from the emergency fund to help move after further slips meant its Adams Ave building was red‑stickered.

The Rapid Relief Team received $41,600, covering a new Western Bay emergency response trailer.

The allocation also covered more than 5600 meals for volunteers at the landslide site.

The Bay of Plenty Rural Support Trust received $33,500 for recovery work with affected farming and grower families.

Regional co‑ordinator Jodie Craig said the money made a difference for rural families, whose losses and land damage were often less visible but still severe.

She said it allowed her team to stay close to those communities, understand what they needed, and ensure their concerns were heard.

A team involved in community recovery efforts across the Western Bay.

The Mount Business Association, the Mainstreet organisation, received $6600 for operational costs linked to additional community work.

This included help for businesses outside its usual membership remit.

It also received $25,000 to deliver community events aimed at strengthening social cohesion and revitalising the area.

Association chairwoman Jo Veale said the fund had been crucial.

Veale said the $25,000 would go towards its upcoming winter campaign to bring vibrancy back to the main street.

The campaign will deliver free community events supporting mental and physical well-being while Mauao remains partially inaccessible.

She said while it had been tricky to navigate the various funding avenues after the tragedy, the response overall had not been slow, especially given the scale of the emergency and complexity of distributing funds responsibly.

“People are working really hard on trying to get this kind of action and get things out to the community.”

Other recipients included Whareroa 2E 7B Trust, which received $16,000 for senior and kaumātua housing damaged by flooding.

Katikati Māori Wardens received $7000 after assisting at the Mauao landslide site.

Salvation Army Tauranga received $4839 to help meet increased food demand.

The Student Volunteer Army received $1000 for its Waihī Beach flood‑response work.

Zoe Blake is a multimedia journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post.