Woods: EQC - Terms of Reference
The independent Ministerial advisor is appointed by the Minister responsible for the Earthquake Commission to work with
the EQC Board and Management to provide advice to the Minister to speed up the resolution of outstanding insurance
claims to EQC arising from the earthquakes that struck in Canterbury on or after 4 September 2010, including any
aftershocks (the Earthquake Claims).
The purpose is to report to the Minister on operational changes needed for resolving any residual Earthquake Claims in a
manner which ensures timeliness, cost effectiveness and high professional standards.
More specifically, the advisor, with input from the EQC Board and Management, will consider and report on, and may make
recommendations in relation to:
• options for possible improvement in the management of the Earthquake Claims by EQC;
• any constraints faced by EQC that may prevent timely resolution of the Earthquake Claims, whether arising from
operational, resourcing, policy or legislative settings, or otherwise;
• any constraints caused by processes of other government agencies or private insurers to the extent that EQC’s
ability to resolve the Earthquake Claims in a timely manner are dependent on those processes;
• ongoing monitoring of the resolution of the Earthquake Claims;
• any other related matter.
The independent Ministerial advisor will also work with MBIE on any related insurance issues, to coordinate advice to
the Minister based on full information.
The advisor will not consider or report on, or make recommendations in relation to:
• any individual entitlement relating to a specific insurance claimant, or resolution of any specific insurance
claims;
• the general governance arrangements of any agency;
• any individual employment matter or decision taken within any agency;
• the performance of any specific individual;
• any matters that are subject to mediation, litigation or arbitration proceedings;
• the re-opening of settled claims;
• legal precedents (with regard to actual insurance claims) that have been established by the Courts;
• any operational matters relating to any insurance claim other than the Earthquake Claims;
The timeframe for initial report to Minister will be 6 weeks from the date of appointment.