MEDIA RELEASE
6 March 2014
Insurance Council Applauds Urgency on Flood Issues
The Government and the Christchurch City Council are to be applauded for the urgency being given to flood mitigation
plans, the Insurance Council of New Zealand said today.
The Insurance Council was responding to the outcome of a meeting today between Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister
Gerry Brownlee and Major Lianne Dalziel which will see fast-track work for the Flockton Basin in St. Albans and moves to
pass special legislation through Parliament to enable work to proceed quickly.
“This area of the city has flooded on several occasions since the earthquakes lowered land in the area. So, this is good
news for hard-pressed residents constantly worried about what the next heavy rain will bring,” Chief Executive Tim
Grafton said
“It’s also good news for them if mitigation significantly reduces the risk and frequency of flooding because it supports
the future insurability of property.
“We are also pleased to hear the City Council is firming up timeframes for how it will deal with other flood risks, Port
Hills slope stability and other hazards long-term. Attention to some of these issues will help remove roadblock to
recovery efforts,” he said.
“The Christchurch recovery has never been down to solely insurers or EQC or a combination of the two. It should be
increasingly clear now that keeping the momentum of the recovery going involves action from local and central government
too and tackling hazards in this way illustrates this well.”
ENDS