EQC launches natural hazards portal to assess community risks

EQC launches natural hazards portal to assess community risks | Insurance Business New Zealand

Catastrophe & Flood

EQC launches natural hazards portal to assess community risks

The website includes a map which allows for searching of settled EQCover claims from 1997 onwards

Catastrophe & Flood

By
Kenneth Araullo

Toka Tū Ake EQC has launched a user-friendly website, designed to simplify the process for New Zealand residents to access information concerning natural hazard risks within their localities.

This platform also consolidates data on settled EQCover claims for residential properties and land across Aotearoa New Zealand.

“The Natural Hazards Portal is part of our commitment to share information that helps people and communities build more resilience to natural hazards,” said Dr Jo Horrocks, Toka Tū Ake EQC chief resilience and research officer. “We live in a country that has multiple natural hazards, but there are actions we can take to reduce our risk. By helping people understand their natural hazard risks, they can be empowered to make informed decisions to build greater resilience.”

Some key features of the natural hazards portal include:

Access to hazard risk information at both local and national levels, sourced from various governmental agencies, including council hazard maps
Comprehensive insights into natural hazards insurance
An interactive map that facilitates searches for settled EQCover claims from 1997 onwards, encompassing residential properties and land across the nation

Details within the EQCover claims data comprise property addresses, dates of natural hazard events, event types, and claim classifications (land or building) for resolved EQCover claims spanning from 1997 to the present. Enquiries for further specifics can be initiated with Toka Tū Ake EQC under the Official Information Act, as currently practiced. Claims under active assessment are not featured on the map.

“At Toka Tū Ake EQC, we invest in research and data on natural hazards and ways to reduce risk,” Horrocks said. “We also have decades of claims data that helps us understand the impact of natural hazard events. By making the information more accessible, we’re supporting New Zealanders to build their understanding of natural hazards, and how these have previously affected homes and communities. Seeing this information can also encourage people to ask good questions about whether any damage has been properly repaired, and what they can do to manage their own risks.”

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