Bay Harbour: December 14, 2016

PAGE 4 BAY HARBOUR
Wednesday December 14 2016
EQC UPDATE KEEPING YOU INFORMED | DECEMBER 2016
The year ahead
A message from outgoing EQC chief executive
Ian Simpson
The Kaikoura Earthquake has been an unwelcome
reminder of the sheer power and unpredictability
of geological forces and of New Zealand’s
vulnerability to these.
The earthquake has also highlighted yet again
the resilience of New Zealanders in the face of
natural disaster.
At EQC, it’s also reminded us that every natural
disaster affects communities in different ways. So
while we have learned a number of lessons from
Canterbury 2010-2011, our response to the
Kaikoura Earthquakes will be different.
One of the key things we learned from
Canterbury is that we should have put more
time early on into building relationships with
customers, community groups, local
Courtesy of Tonkin + Taylor
Don’t wait to hear from
EQC – lodge your claim
Most people seen by EQC in the first
weeks since the Kaikoura
Earthquake of 14 November have
wanted help lodging their claims
and advice on how to get emergency
repairs underway to get them back
into their homes.
EQC Customer and Claims General
Manager Trish Keith says that having
organised three teams on rotation into
the most impacted areas of Ward, Waiau
and Kaikoura to help lodge claims,
provide information and answer
EQC-related questions, EQC is being
kept up to date on customer needs.
“One of the lessons out of Canterbury
was that people wanted information
and the opportunity to talk to someone
about their issues as soon as they could
after an event, so we have ensured that
our response to Kaikoura includes
personal contact,” Mrs Keith says.
“The teams have been dealing with
hundreds of customers one-on-one.
Many people have been asking EQC
when someone from EQC will visit
them, so they will know what to do
next. My advice is that they go ahead
and lodge the claim first. Don’t wait for
anyone to visit.
“Go ahead and lodge your claim to
ensure you are in the system, and any
earthquake damage found later can be
added. If you fail to lodge a claim
before 14 February 2017, we won’t be
able to help you so best to lodge the
government, and government agencies
and insurers.
We are heeding that lesson as we plan our
response to Kaikoura. We’ve had staff on the
ground in Kaikoura, Ward and Waiau to help
customers lodge their claims and answer EQC
related questions. The information our people
are picking up from those areas is being fed back
into our planning.
The work we are doing now will mean that in
2017 we will be putting in place the team we
need to deliver a response tailored to the needs
of customers impacted by the Kaikoura
Earthquake. This team will be part of the new
structure we have developed to also carry on the
remaining work in Canterbury in 2017.
While we are working very hard on responding to
Kaikoura, we also know we have to keep focussed
on resolving the final Canterbury claims.
I’m stepping down as EQC’s chief executive at
the end of this year. I want to thank people of
claim,” Mrs Keith says.
The next steps about claim assessment
and settlement are still the subject of
ongoing negotiations with private
insurers. EQC is confident it will have
news on this soon.
EQC has been prioritising the
vulnerable and the most damaged
homes for visits, as needed.
All EQC teams are working out of
Recovery Assistance Centres set up by
Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency
Management in Ward, Waiau and
Kaikoura so Government agencies and
non-government agencies could deliver
consistently across areas of need.
If you have any questions about
your existing claim or want to lodge
a new claim:
• Visit www.eqc.govt.nz/claims
• Email info@eqc.govt.nz
• Phone 0800 DAMAGE (326 243)
The EQC call centre is open 7am to
9pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to
6pm on Saturdays.
To prepare for making a claim,
remember to have on hand:
• Information about what damage
occurred
• Photographs showing the damage
and any urgent work that was done
• Your insurance policy number and
name of your insurance company.
Courtesy of NZ Fire Service
Canterbury for the support we have received,
and at times for your patience. I acknowledge we
didn’t always get everything right but we have
learned from that. I also want to acknowledge the
EQC staff who worked very hard to support the
Canterbury recovery.
Looking ahead, it’s clear 2017 will be another
year of challenges. I’m confident that EQC will
rise to meet those challenges.
2017 changes
From later this month, EQC will be the main point of
contact for all customer enquiries relating to Canterbury
Home Repair Programme (CHRP) repairs.
Until now, customers have dealt with EQC and/or Fletcher EQR
– depending on what stage their repairs have been at. But, from
16 December, EQC’s 0800 number (0800 326 243) will be the
main number for all customers – including those whose
properties are in the current sub-floor review, who will be
transferred to the Fletcher EQR staff focussing on that work.
No delays are intended or anticipated, but personnel changes
due to the completion of about 68,400 first-time CHRP repairs
may mean some customers will have a different contact person
at EQC or EQR in 2017.
EQC’s General Manager Customer and Claims Trish Keith says
these customers will be advised of any changes and provided
with new contact details.
“We don’t want customers who currently have a contact
person at EQC or EQR calling us and only then finding out that
someone else is looking after their claim.”
She says any changes will be limited to EQC and EQR
personnel, and repair work will be carried out by contractors
that have already worked for the home repair programme and
are familiar with EQC’s systems and quality expectations.
Most CHRP contractors will finish work for the year on
23 December and resume work from 9 January.
EQC’s Contact Centre hours will be:
• Friday 23 December: 7am-5pm
• Saturday 24 December – Tuesday 27 December: CLOSED
• Wednesday 28 December – Friday 30 December: 8am-5pm
• Saturday 31 December – Tuesday 3 January: CLOSED
• Normal hours will resume on Wednesday 4 January
(7am-9pm Monday-Friday; 8am-6pm Saturday)
EQC in the
community
EQC staff members will be available to answer your
questions and talk about claims at the following Recovery
Assistance Centres.
• KAIKOURA
8.30am-5pm, 7 days, Sacred Heart Parish Hall
• WAIAU
11am-2pm, Monday 12 December, Waiau Hall
• WELLINGTON
10am-5pm, Monday-Friday Public Trust Building,
131-135 Lambton Quay
Positive
response to
February 2016
settlement
process
90 percent of claims from the February 2016
earthquakes have been settled.
EQC’s February 2016 Event Response Manager,
Jayne Lapin, says of the 13,879 claims received for the
14 and 29 February earthquakes and subsequent
aftershocks, EQC has resolved 12,440 (90 percent)
by cash settlement worth a total value of $46,039,854
“Customers have appreciated the approach we have
developed and implemented in response to the
February earthquakes.”
The new approach uses both on-site and phonebased
assessments, and allows customers to influence
the pace of settlement by giving them the opportunity
to provide earthquake damage data and
photographic evidence.
Thanks to a robust period of planning in advance and
with customers providing information up front, claims
have taken an average of three weeks to reach
settlement from assessment.
Customers who have been through the process have
been surveyed and nearly 90 percent of those who have
taken part have been positive about their experience.
Ms Lapin says EQC had hoped to resolve all February
2016 claims by the end of the year but it has suited
some customers to defer their assessment to 2017,
meaning a small number remain open and will be
closed early next year.
Land settlements
update
Almost all land claims will be resolved by the end
of the year but there will be some customers who
will get their settlement in 2017.
At the end of December 2016, out of a total of
approximately 73,000 green zone properties we
expect to have resolved 97% of them. This means we
have either made payments to customers or advised
them that they don’t qualify for the types of land
damage known as Increased Flooding Vulnerability
(IFV) and/or Increased Liquefaction Vulnerability (ILV).
“We’ve been working to get an answer to all land
customers waiting to hear from us this year. While we
have worked hard to ensure that customers have
received their land settlement, we are conscious that
some are still waiting”, says EQC’s Head of Customer
and Claims Trish Keith.
“These are the last of the most complex claims that
we need to settle and we will do our best to continue
to deliver robust settlements which can give
homeowners confidence that all properties have been
assessed fairly and consistently”, says Mrs Keith.
“Looking back on the year, we would also like the
opportunity to thank all land customers, community
groups and many other stakeholders, who are also
supporting our customers, for their patience and
understanding as well as taking the time to come to
our community meetings on land settlements or
hosting us and providing us with their feedback”,
concludes Mrs Keith.
The EQC website remains a good source of
information for land customers who want to find out
more about IFV and ILV land damage, which are a
world-first. Please visit www.eqc.govt.nz/IFV or www.
eqc.govt.nz/ILV.
CONTACT EQC AT 0800 DAMAGE (0800 326 243) OR VISIT WWW.EQC.GOVT.NZ