Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) shelled out $2.74M to help people suffering the financial effects of COVID-19.

But it won't fall on ratepayers to pick up the bill.  

Instead, the council has made seven claims to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

NEMA is an autonomous departmental agency, hosted by the department of the prime minister and cabinet.

The first five claims, totalling $2.5M, have already been approved by NEMA and reimbursed to the QLDC.

"Council is awaiting the final two claims to be assessed by NEMA which totals $240k," the QLDC quarterly finance report said.

The QLDC emergency operations centre response team's effort helped more than 7,500 people in the district in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19 restrictions - the majority were migrants who had lost their jobs but were unable to return to their home countries.

It provided support in the form of supermarket groceries vouchers, clothes, firewood, blankets, with the scheme later expanded with government-funding to include accommodation and utilities bills support.

There were 62 core QLDC staff, two Otago Regional Council (ORC) staff, more than 80 volunteers and five contractors involved in the effort, before Te Tari Taiwhenua, Department of Internal Affairs, and New Zealand Red Cross took over on July 1.

The nationwide Foreign Nationals Support Programme/Visitor Care Manaaki Manuhiri was originally slated to run until September 30, with a $37.6M budget, but has now been extended to November 30, 2020.

On average, 150 migrants per week across Otago ask for support from the scheme.

PHOTO: Supplied