Preliminary figures released today by the Insurance Council of New Zealand reaffirm the extent of damage the July
Northland floods left behind, with $37m paid to date by insurers to support their customers' recovery.
Tim Grafton, CE Insurance Council of New Zealand, says the flood is another reminder of the damage unforeseen events can
leave behind and the importance of having insurance in place to support your recovery.
"The costs to recover from this event have already exceeded those of the February Southland floods that saw a state of
emergency declared for Southland, Fiordland and Clutha.
"With severe weather predicated to become more frequent due to climate change, it is critical that we learn from these
events and use them to inform ways to mitigate the risks they present so we can improve the resilience of our
communities," he said.
For the first time private insurers were able to manage some claims for land damage on behalf of EQC. This meant that
customers who suffered damage to their residential home, and had silt or debris covering their land, were able to lodge
and have their claim managed by their private insurer.
"This helped to ensure the claims process was easy and efficient. Many customers were able to have their claim resolved
through their insurer as a single point of contact, enabling them to get back on their feet as quickly as possible,"
said Mr Grafton.
EQC’s Chief Readiness Officer Josh Lindsay said the partnership had proven to be successful. "Bringing EQC and private
insurers together provided a streamlined customer service experience for the people of Northland. We will continue to
work closely to build on this for future events."
To date the flood has resulted in more than 2,500 house and contents claims, more than 360 commercial or
business-related claims and a further 360 claims for damage to motor vehicles. EQC has received 306 land claims to date.