Main phone numbers

• EQC 0800 DAMAGE (0800 326 243).
• Government helpline 0800 779 997
• Healthline  (24 Hours) 0800 611 116
• Christchurch City Council  helpline  03 941 8999
• Emergency services 111

Earthquake Commission (EQC)

The EQC 0800 number is being inundated with calls and it can be very hard to get through. It may be better to direct people to the online claim form. There is a three-month window to lodge a claim from the date that the damage occurred.

How to make a claim

• Claims can be lodged with EQC by calling free on 0800 326 243 at any time.
• Claims can also be lodged online at: https://cms.eqc.co.nz/claimcenter/cms/public/fnol.form
• People have three months to lodge a claim from the time the event occurred.
• When calling EQC, staff will ask you who you are insured with and for your idea of the extent of damage. Staff will then let you know whether someone will call to help with your claim, or whether you can go ahead and get the repair done. We will follow this up in writing.
• If you are unsure about your insurance cover, please call us anyway and we will do all we can to check it for you.
• For more information online on making a claim with EQC go to:

 http://www.eqc.govt.nz/insurance/householdersguide.aspx

 Am I covered by the Earthquake Commission?  

• If you have current home and/or contents insurance, you also have the Earthquake Commission’s cover.
• EQC covers damage to residential property caused by earthquake, landslip, tsunami, volcanic eruption, hydrothermal activity, storm or flood (land only – not the property on it), fire following any of the above. (* Residential property is your home, its contents and the land immediately surrounding the dwelling (within limits).

What should I do about the mess & damage to my property?

• If possible take photos before moving anything.
• You can make temporary repairs for safety or to prevent further damage or discomfort.
• You can get essential services like toilets and water systems repaired immediately but keep everything the repairer replaces (and keep a copy of the bill).
• You can clean up spillages or crockery and glass breakages (but don’t throw anything not perishable away yet).
• You can dispose of perishables like ruined or spilt food. (List the items as you bury, burn or dump them).

Social Development

The Ministry of Social Development is the lead agency providing emergency welfare, which includes HNZC. We don’t know the numbers of people displaced.  Estimated at around 2000 last night, although we suspect it may be higher.

• General help line: 0800 779997

People calling the helpline can get information on income support, housing options, health issues, community assistance, clean-up and how to contact any other services people may need.

• Work and Income and Child, Youth and Family staff will be operating out of all the Civil Defence welfare centres in Christchurch providing emergency assistance to people.
• As soon as the Work and Income and Child, Youth and Family offices have been structurally assessed as safe, those premises will open.
• All standard appointments for Work and Income and Child, Youth and Family in Christchurch sites for this week have been cancelled. 
• Benefits and superannuation will continue to be paid to people regardless. 
• The welfare centres are located at Linwood college, Burnside High School, Addington Raceway, Kaipoi Nth School.

Anyone requiring emergency financial assistance can phone the Work and Income contact centre 0800 559 009. 

Education providers

• All schools in Christchurch, Waimakariri and Selwyn districts are closed to students until Wednesday 8 September.
• It may be that other schools and boards decide to remain closed until they are satisfied that structures and sanitation are safe.
• All licensed centre based ECE services in Christchurch City Council, Waimakariri District Council and Selwyn District Council areas are closed until the end of Tuesday 7 September 2010.
• Canterbury University and Lincoln University are closed and are due to re-opening on Monday 13^th September.
• The Ministry of Education will make a further announcement later today about the possible ongoing closure of schools and ECE services.
  

Further updates are available at – www.minedu.govt.nz/CanterburyEarthquake

Landlords and tenants

If a rental property has been so seriously damaged as to be unsafe or uninhabitable, section 59 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 states that the rent stops and tenants can give 2 days notice to terminate the tenancy. The landlord can give 7 days notice to terminate the tenancy. 

If the premises are partially destroyed, or part of the premises are so seriously damaged as to be unsafe or uninhabitable then the rent stops accordingly and either party can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal for an order terminating the tenancy.

Landlords or tenants with concerns can call 0800 TENANCY – 0800 83 62 62 for advice.

Health warnings

It’s important to heed public health messages over the next days and weeks including:

• Boil water for three minutes before drinking, brushing teeth or washing/preparing food.
• Use as little water as possible to flush your toilet if you have water.
• Remember hand washing stops diseases spreading. 
• Look after each other – keep in touch with families, friends and neighbours and support each other.
• Avoid contact with sewage. Don’t gather fish or shellfish in the sea or from Canterbury rivers.
• If you are unwell with a minor injury or illness and need medical assistance call your general practice or nearest after-hours surgery. Please keep the Emergency Department for emergencies only. If you need an ambulance call 111.

Then the adrenalin kicked in and a search for cellphone, torches and radios and survival kit. The place was dark and a cold -2c frost was outside reminded me that I needed to put on some clothes. A quick reccy of my house to see it had not fallen down and thoughts to see what had happened. Calls and texts to my wider family followed. My brother was within 15 minutes in the car with his wife and two kids on the road leaving their house as fear of a tsunami hit. My other brother is fine too. My brain kicked in to track down on radio what had occurred. A 7.4 earthquake. 30km west of Christchurch. I ring my brother Craig to say stop heading inland. Over the next few hours I go into planning mode. Calling and texting lots of people as I gather more information. My street and neighbours are fine. Discover quickly that my suburb is pretty well off. People milling around the streets as daylight hits the damage becomes more evident. I visit my father who for the first weekend in about 37 years is on his own to check in he is a bit shaken up.

By 6am it is becoming clear that the city of my birth has suffered terribly but miraculously no one has died. Thoughts then move to what one can do. Civil defence passes on info to me to advise my cell contacts in the area. I text out to a few hundred locals about what has happened and to stay out of the central city. Next texts and calls start flooding into me. Seeing if I am ok and asking questions. A quick trip to my office to gather water bottles nearby sees it fine while the building two along has serious damage.

A quick trip around my area shows that Brighton, Bexley and Dallington hit bad. Brooklands is too. I fed back information to Minister of Civil Defence on what I see.

Over the next few hours more damage are reported. The destruction will take months and maybe billions to fix. All the while the emergency workers are working frantically to clear debris and get services working again. I help where I can. My suburb gets restored by mid-afternoon on Saturday. Others are not so lucky.

The PM and other senior Ministers arrive and come and visit firsthand our local damage. Thousands of homes and business are damaged or destroyed.

By Sunday morning my brother’s house and street are told it will be weeks, if at all. I distribute water bottles to people and hear their fears and stories. Attending a meeting of some 300 in Brooklands Hall it is clear that communication is poor in places and more needs to be done for these people, and I give them a plea to remain calm and what they can do. The welfare centres fill up and people move in with friends and family. Heading into CD central in town I see first hand the damage in the city and receive a brief from the mayor and staff. Still after some pleading and questions and great work by Orion manage and the Council team led by Mayor Bob to get freshwater, and power restored to the Brooklands area which was great. The level of community spirit is amazing to see. Schools are now to be shut and much work is needed to bring things to some form of normal but as I write this some 95% of the city has power, most has water and sewerage reconnected too. The rest is seriously damaged. My brother’s house is bad and so he and his family move into my place.

I am now in a period of anger. I am angry that this could happen to my home town. And that anger now needs to be funnelled into the rebuild, and that also brings opportunity. While some want to leave Christchurch I want to rebuild it bigger and better. Our city will remember this forever and I don’t think I will ever be the same again.

Earthquake Government Helpline number is 0800 779 997.

On 1 October, New Zealand Superannuation, Working for Families, and benefit payments will increase immediately by 2.02 per cent – to compensate for the rise in GST.

Find out how the tax changes will benefit you. Visit the tax calculator at www.taxguide.govt.nz

The tax package will be a welcome boost to household budgets in our community, and will help hard-working families get ahead.

It will also help the economy, by tilting it towards savings and exports, and away from extra debt, excessive government deficits and spending, and borrowing for things like property speculation.

The tax changes are an important part of National’s six-point plan for a stronger economy. Our plan is boosting growth and creating sustainable jobs.

On 1 October, the first part of the tax package kicks in. We’re lowering personal taxes and the tax on savings – such as interest and dividends – along with a rise in GST. This will give people more choices, encourage saving, and help boost our local businesses.

The second part of the package kicks in next year. We’re dropping company tax to 28 per cent, encouraging Kiwi businesses to grow and ensuring they remain competitive. We’re also making changes to property tax to make the tax system fairer and further encourage saving and investment in our businesses.

The Government’s tax package rewards effort and helps attract and retain skilled people in New Zealand. As the economy grows, we expect to create 170,000 new jobs in the next four years.

National is firmly focused on lifting New Zealand’s long-term economic growth to create jobs, boost incomes, and raise the living standards of hard-working Kiwis. We need to do this so we can provide the world-class public services that all New Zealanders deserve.

We are working hard to provide families and our communities with the financial security, opportunities, and higher incomes they need for a brighter future.

UPDATE: As at 31 August I have received close to 200 responses back so far

Many New Zealanders told us the pendulum has swung too far towards relaxation of alcohol laws. Our package adopts in full, or in part, 126 of the 153 Law Commission recommendations, as well as making other changes.

We’re tackling alcohol-related harm, including crime, disorder, and public health problems. Alcohol is estimated to contribute to 1000 deaths a year, and is implicated in 30 per cent of all police recorded offences, 34 per cent of recorded family violence, and 50 per cent of all homicides.

We cannot legislate away New Zealand’s binge-drinking culture, but legislation can contribute to a culture change. This package will support a moderate drinking culture through controls on the availability and proliferation of alcohol.

Our package strikes the right balance between not unfairly affecting responsible drinkers, and dealing with the considerable harm alcohol causes.

More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government+outlines+balanced+plan+alcohol+reform

It was clear that, while regional bidders were able to make a significant impact on broadband coverage, they would not achieve our targets.

We’re now seeking national coverage proposals, but are encouraging partnerships between regional infrastructure companies and national bidders.

With this approach, we are confident of achieving our target of 80 per cent of rural households and businesses having access to broadband at 5Mbps or better within the six year period.

Rural broadband is part of National’s plan to boost our infrastructure and ensure we’re competitive in the 21st century.

More information:

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/rural+broadband+final+proposals+sought

 It’s a critical issue for New Zealand, as we rely heavily on borrowing money overseas. This means high and rising debt to the rest of the world.

We have deliberately set wide terms of reference for the Working Group. The only exclusions are New Zealand Superannuation, which this Government will not change, and broad mtaxation of capital gains or land, which we have previously said we will not introduce.

Otherwise, we are not ruling anything in or out.

The Savings Working Group will canvass a range of options for improving New Zealand’s overall savings performance, including government savings.

It will report back to the Government by January 2011. Improving our level of savings is the next step in National’s economic plan to boost growth, create jobs, and grow a stronger economy.

More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/wide+brief+expert+group+savings+options

“More than 1000 families and households have replied to my recent survey, telling me what they think. I’m really pleased with your excellent feedback on what’s concerning you, what the National-led Government is doing right, and what we could do better,” Mr Gilmore says.

“People are overwhelmingly in favour of the crack-down on violent criminals through our 3-strikes legislation, and tougher sentences for animal cruelty and boys racers.

“I was most interested to hear your views on whether the alcohol purchase age should change. An overwhelming 71 per cent of responses want the alcohol purchase age to go back up to 20, while 17 per cent want to see a split purchase age of 20 for off-license purchases and 18 in bars. Only 10 per cent of you want the status quo.

“This will be a conscience vote, and I’m really pleased to have a feel for what our community wants.

“I’m hoping to get more feedback on the planned Preston’s development and transport concerns in Christchurch. In particular, I want to know your thoughts on the Northern Motorway upgrade as part of the Roads of National Significance programme, and the recent changes to bus services to the North East of Christchurch.

“If you still have a survey at home, please take the time to fill it in and send it to me. I’m really keen to hear from as many families as possible,” Mr Gilmore says.

More survey results will be released over the next few weeks.

Please support this worthy cause by donating to any collector on the streets on Friday 27 August. You can also call 0900 31 111 to make an instant $20 donation, or text ‘daffodil’ to 883 to make a $3 donation.

For more information and other ways to donate see www.daffodilday.org.nz