Money best to help quake victims

Northlanders wanting to help the earthquake recovery operation in Christchurch have been urged to donate money, not second-hand goods or products to the relief effort.

Northland Regional Council Civil Defence officer Claire Nyberg said many people were keen to help, but the best anyone without the specific skills needed could do was donate money to the cause.

"We need cash, not donated goods. Money is the best thing because it allows [the relief effort] to buy specific things that are needed," Mr Nyberg said.

"We don't need a whole lot of second-hand goods because we would then have to allocate staff to deal with it."

Civil Defence said many well-intentioned Northlanders wanted to help and some had begun collecting donated goods outside official channels.

But financial donations were the quickest, easiest and only real practical way to help organisations on the ground get what they needed.

Civil Defence, while appreciative of the public's willingness to help out, did not have the capacity to handle donated goods.

Detailed information on how to donate can be found on the Northland Regional Council website: www.nrc.govt.nz/christchurchquake

Alternatively donations can be made through any of the following channels.-

Mayoral relief fund at any BNZ branch: Account number 02-0800-084958-000.

Red Cross at: www.redcross.org.nz/donate

Salvation Army: 0800 53 00 00 (Specify that your donation is for the "Canterbury Earthquake Appeal").

Any ANZ Bank branch:

Account number 01-1839-0188939-00.

Any National Bank branch: Account number 06-0869-0548507-00.

Any Westpac Bank branch: Account number 03-0207-0617331-00.