Chloe Johnson: Cyclone Recovery Local Advocate on the Red Cross being slow to spend Cyclone Gabrielle fund - Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Deep frustration from Hawke's Bay locals at the Red Cross's slow spend of its Cyclone Gabrielle fund.

More than $21 million was raised from donations in the immediate aftermath, but only $4 million has been dished out so far.

Cyclone Recovery Local Advocate, Chloe Johnson says there's a lot of places the organisation's help is needed, but silt clean up is the most obvious.

"It's not that we want the Red Cross personnel to go out and clean up, as Secretary General Sarah Stewart has said. We're wanting the funding to go towards professional crews who can get in there with their diggers and excavators."

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