Christchurch Earthquake 2011

(Last Updated: 18/07/11)

Aftershocks in Canterbury

Our thoughts are with everyone in the Canterbury region affected by continuing aftershocks.  If you are in need of temporary accommodation, urgent repairs, advice or simply want to get your claim under way, we’re here, fully functional and ready to help.  Please phone us on 0800 500 216.

Keeping you and your family safe

Our first priority is to ensure you, your family and pets are safe. Please do not stay in your home if it has been severely damaged. Stay away from areas that have sustained damage.

Our Christchurch office has suffered minor damage but we have staff available to help you now. If you need emergency grants, temporary accommodation or urgent repairs please contact us on 0800 500 216.

We have additional staff in the Christchurch area, including assessors and personal Customer Managers to help you if you require assistance.  Our staff will be clearly identified as staff of AA Insurance.  They will have branded clothing, hats etc and be able to supply appropriate identification when required.

AA Insurance is committed to supporting our customers in any way we can during this difficult time.

What if I need to leave my home?

If your home is uninhabitable please contact AA Insurance on 0800 500 216 and we will assist you to find temporary accommodation.If you need to leave your home, take these steps - but don't risk your personal safety to do so;

• Turn the power, gas and water off and secure your home as well as you can before you leave

• Secure your contents before you go and take any easily portable valuables or documents with you

• Make sure your pets are safe and keep them with you if possible

Will I still be covered if my home is unoccupied?

If you are unable to secure your home before you leave, don’t worry.  If you suffer theft as a result this won’t affect your claim.  You will be covered.  Your personal safety is more important than anything else and we urge you not to take unnecessary risks – you should not re-enter any building that is not safe. 

If you need help finding temporary accommodation for you, your family or your pets please contact us on 0800 500 216.  We can also arrange to put the contents you’ve had to leave behind into storage, or help you to move them to your temporary location.

What if my vehicle has been damaged?

Please do not drive unless it is absolutely necessary. If you suspect your vehicle has been damaged or you suspect it has suffered flooding it may be unsafe to drive.  If you have reason to believe it is damaged you can call us to lodge a claim on 0800 500 216 but there is no hurry to do this.

What do I do if I need to make a claim?

If you would like to report damage to your home, car or contents you can call us on 0800 500 216 (or +64 9 966 8095 for overseas customers).  We have a team of people ready to assist you and answer any queries you might have.

Do I need to report damage now?

If you are not in immediate need there is no rush to report minor damage to us or to lodge a claim.  We have people ready to assist any of our customers who need emergency assistance and our priority is ensuring these people get the help they need. 

For any non-urgent repairs, the EQC allows three months for you to make your claim from the date of the earthquake or aftershock.  For a list of dates and deadlines please visit www.eqc.govt.nz.  When you’re ready, you can rely on us to sort out the details but there is no need to worry that you won’t be covered if you don’t call us now.  We’re ready when you are.

Do I need to make a claim with the EQC?

Yes – you will need to report any damage to both the EQC and AA Insurance.  This way we will have all the information we need so that if the damage falls outside the limits provided by the EQC we can begin helping you straight away.

The EQC covers the first $115,000 (including GST) of damage to buildings and the first $23,000 (including GST) of damage to contents.  There are some items such as paths, drives, fences and pools which are not covered by the EQC but we will discuss this with you in more detail depending on your situation or property.

Do I need to make a new claim if I suffered damage in a previous earthquake?

Yes – If you submitted a claim after a previous earthquake then you will need to lodge a separate claim with AA Insurance for any new damage that has been caused to your property. This will not affect any existing claims but will allow us to accurately assess how many additional resources we will need to send to the Christchurch area.

We may need to re-assess your property if new damage has been sustained.  Once you have lodged a claim with us we will be in contact as soon as we can to advise you of the next steps and if reassessment will be required.  Due to the large number of customers who have been affected we are currently prioritising customers who are in immediate need but we will attend to every claim as quickly as we can.

How can I help progress my claim?

Once you have lodged a claim we will be in contact to appoint an assessor to evaluate the damage to your property (where necessary).  Before this assessor arrives you can help by preparing a list of any damaged items or property.  Be as specific as you can and provide a description of the type damage that has occurred. 

Also, create a list of any items you have had to throw away or replace.  If you have had emergency repairs completed or purchased new items to replace damaged ones please hold onto your receipts. 

If you’re able to include an approximate replacement cost for any damaged items/property this will help us to make an initial assessment of the total cost of your claim.  Please keep in mind that you will need to provide an estimated replacement cost – which means the cost to rebuild or replace now, not when the item was originally purchased.

Making a Donation

If you are able to provide support for those in need, consider making a donation to the Red Cross or the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army Canterbury Earthquake Appeal

Support the Salvation Army with their earthquake relief efforts.

Find out more about making a donation to the Salvation Army 'Canterbury Earthquake Appeal' here.

The Red Cross Canterbury Earthquake Appeal

Support the Red Cross with their earthquake relief efforts.

Find out more about making a donation to the Red Cross Canterbury Earthquake Appeal here.

Important Contact Details

• AA Roadwatch - www.aaroadwatch.co.nz (latest zones and road closures).

• Christchurch City Council - 03 941 8999 or www.ccc.govt.nz

• Christchurch Hospital - 03 364 0640 or www.cdhb.govt.nz/chc

• Christchurch International Airport - 0800 568 369 or www.christchurchairport.co.nz

• Civil Defence - www.civildefence.govt.nz

• Earthquake Commission - 0800 DAMAGE (0800 326 243) or www.eqc.govt.nz

• Government Earthquake Support - 0800 779 997 or www.canterburyearthquake.govt.nz

• Healthline - 0800 611 116 or www.moh.govt.nz/healthline

• Highway Information - 0800 444 449 or www.highwayinfo.govt.nz

• New Zealand Police Car Finder Application - www.police.govt.nz

• New Zealand Red Cross - 0800 REDCROSS (0800 733 276) or www.redcross.org.nz