EQC offers help to flood affected residents

If you have been affected by the flooding, the priority is to look after yourself, your family and friends and to make sure your house is safe and weather-tight.

You have up to three months from the date of the natural disaster to lodge a claim with EQC. You can make a claim by calling 0800 326 243.

You must have a home or contents fire insurance policy with a private insurance company at the time the natural disaster damage occurred to make a claim with EQC.

Customers with home insurance will also receive EQC cover for certain land damage. What EQC covers depends on how the damage occurred. For storms and floods, EQC covers damage to residential land only, within certain limits (Private insurers cover house and contents damage, according to the terms of an individual’s policy). For natural landslip damage, EQC covers damage to home, contents and land, within certain limits.

EQC land cover is usually capped at the dollar value of the area of insured land that has been lost or damaged (or will imminently be) as a direct result of the natural disaster. Where the area of damage is large enough, that value will instead be calcul- ated using whichever of these is the smaller: The minimum allowable lot size under the council’s district plan; an area of 4000 square metres.

It is also important to note that bridges, culverts, and retaining walls that support the home or insured land are covered for indemnity value.