The welfare fund is to assist people not covered by other agencies such as Work and Income.
Prime Minister John Key said Cabinet will make 94 million NZ dollars from the emergency works budget available immediately so work can start on fixing roads.
Key said the state highway network has held up well, but there is extensive damage to residential streets.
He said the 5 million NZ dollars marked just the start of the government’s financial contribution, and the cost of restoring infrastructure will run into hundreds of millions of dollars.