Canterbury Claimants Congratulate EQC Action Group Members

Canterbury Claimants has commended the courage, perseverance and sacrifice of an EQC claimants group.
 
EQC this morning signed a joint statement with the EQC Action Group, and Canterbury Claimants says it is clear that EQC will have some explaining and extra work to do.
 
“Despite years of EQC instructing their staff and contractors that their ‘job is to repair a claimant’s home to return it to the way it was before the earthquakes, as quickly and efficiently as possible’2 today EQC have admitted they were wrong,” says Canterbury Claimants spokesperson Cameron Preston.
 
EQC’s obligation is, and always has been, to reinstate to a “when new” condition, not to “Pre-earthquake Condition”, says Mr Preston.
 
He says that despite EQC attempting to avoid the cost of consequential reinstatement works such as rewiring houses, today they have now confirmed such works are covered at their cost.
 
And despite EQC and Private Insurance companies relying for years on a Government issued and mandated “guidance” on floor levels which we believe was to avoid capturing earthquake damage to foundations, today EQC have admitted they were wrong to rely on this.
 
Cam Preston says most importantly, today EQC has acknowledged that there are two standards of repair under their Act.
 
“The Earthquake Commission has continued to state that “the standard of repair used by EQC is the same whether they are cash settled or if their home is repaired as part of the Canterbury Home Repair Programme.” It is clear from the joint statement today that there is in fact a lower standard if EQC chose to undertake and manage the repairs using EQC’s agent Fletcher Construction, and another, a higher standard, if EQC decided to pay claimants in cash instead. We have known this for years and are pleased to have the issue out in the open and acknowledged by EQC,” says Preston.
 
Canterbury Claimants believe EQC has a lot more explaining to do about whose best interests were at heart when they hastily arranged what they say was clearly a poorly executed “Canterbury Home Repair Programme” (CHRP) in 2010.
 
“Today’s belated admissions from EQC do nothing to alleviate the years of pain and anguish suffered by its claimants, but Canterbury Claimants wish to acknowledge the EQC Action Groups’ great work on behalf of all claimants in Canterbury. Well done to Peter Woods, Warwick Schaffer, Craig Edwards, Denise Meadows, Alistair Cree and all the other members of the EQC Action Group. It’s no small task to take on the Earthquake Commission with regards to their interpretation of the EQC Act and we salute your fantastic achievement after many years of struggle,” says Mr Preston.
 
ENDS

Canterbury Claimants contacts: Cameron Preston: 021 1738 772 / Melanie Tobeck: 021 449 584

 
References
 
1Canterbury Claimants is the name used by a group of members of the Canterbury Community who, from time to time, arrange public meetings for earthquake policyholders.  The purpose of the meetings is to help provide quality information to the policyholder to better enable them to successfully navigate their way through the insurance claim process. Canterbury Claimants will be shortly announcing a Public Meeting to dissect today’s announcement and help answer this question – Does today’s decision affect me?
 
2https://vimeo.com/67033989