tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64660993789733472442024-02-22T00:41:12.583+13:00Avonside BlogThis started life as a weblog for those living in the Avonside area of Christchurch in 2011 & 2012, and for anyone else looking for information or news on earthquake assessment, rebuilding, and related matters. <br><br> Now it operates intermittently as and when it would be useful to comment on events or issues relevant to Avonside or the way New Zealand handles disasters and insurance. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-81591584745950757752019-08-12T21:05:00.000+12:002019-09-11T23:29:24.813+12:00The new CanCERN website may be dodgySome years ago the legitimate CanCERN website became redundant and ceased to exist. When it went so did all the files and newsletters associated with it.
Last week, on the 9th of August, the old CanCERN website name became active again. As of today there is nothing on it, but more may come later. I have contacted former CanCERN people and they have no involvement with it at all.
Checks onUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-25394617241069023642019-02-16T11:51:00.000+13:002019-02-16T11:51:45.142+13:00Commemorating Avonside on Feb 22 The Avon-Otakaro Network have organised a commemoration of Avonside at Retreat Park
with a memorial and exhibition this coming Friday starting at 11.00 am.
Retreat Park is on the corner of Retreat Road and Patton Street. All
are welcome.
The programme is:
11am Mihi whakatau andUnknownnoreply@blogger.comRetreat Park, Avonside, Christchurch 8061, New Zealand-43.521941899999987 172.6669531-43.522301899999988 172.6663226 -43.521581899999987 172.6675836tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-13021065241777671282018-06-12T21:48:00.000+12:002018-06-12T21:48:17.423+12:00Earthquake Recovery SymposiumGreater Christchurch Regeneration Minister Megan Woods has announced an earthquake recovery symposium to be held in November. There is a news release concerning this on the Council's website here. The news item in Tuesday’s Press says it "... will be held on November 29 and 30 at the University of Canterbury. Up to 250 people from the public, private, community and academic Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-9657091241722079102018-06-11T14:25:00.000+12:002018-06-11T14:25:01.214+12:00Vestiges – a Red Zone photography exhibitionYou may recall the Thanx 4 the Memories exhibition back in August 2013. Tim Veling, one of the photographers involved with that project, is continuing to photograph the Red Zones as the land changes.Tim has a small exhibition of some of the changed landscapes at COCA gallery in Christchurch. Details of the exhibition, that runs until the 29th of July, can be found on COCA’s website here.An Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-29215739660889321282018-06-04T08:13:00.000+12:002018-06-04T08:13:04.348+12:00Red Zone Futures ExhibitionRegenerate Christchurch have opened a public exhibition showcasing the big picture ideas they have developed for the Christchurch red zones. The exhibition is at 99 Cashel Street and runs 7 days a week until the 30th of June. Opening hours are on the exhibition website here..Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-75637617543179517232018-06-03T11:35:00.000+12:002018-06-03T11:35:08.079+12:00Back againThere are a few things happening so time to restart the blog.First information post will be tomorrow.Lawrence.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-42573794374819679302015-10-21T07:15:00.000+13:002015-10-21T07:15:00.430+13:00Survey of former residential red zone owners who accepted Crown offersCERA is currently surveying all who were Red Zoned and accepted the Government’s (Crown) offer. Research company Neilsen are conducting the survey and invitations to take part started going out via e-mail on the 14th (last week). If you were Red Zoned, and took the offer, you should have received a survey invitation by now. If not it is likely to be the result of a change of Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-705079496596002152015-10-05T09:30:00.000+13:002015-10-05T09:30:00.522+13:00THX 4 THE MEMORIES - Avonside photographic exhibition now online.The 22nd of August 2013 was the official opening of the Avonside photography project Thx 4 the Memories exhibited along Worcester Street. It consisted of photographs of Avonside people by Bridgit Anderson and Tim Veling along with snippets of their Red Zone experiences as recorded by Glen Busch (original post here). Tim has put together an online book that recreates the exhibition and you can Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-86967467698574409382015-05-06T09:03:00.000+12:002015-05-06T09:03:00.641+12:00More support for legislative changes covering insurance non-disclosureThe Insurance Business New Zealand website reprorts that dispute resolution service Financial Services Complaints Ltd (FSCL) supports the Insurance and Savings Ombudsman’s view legislation is needed to deal with non-disclosure and insurance claims. The article is here. The following are extracts from the article: “We are a step behind overseas jurisdictions like Australia and the UK. “I think Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-86277950883720869462015-05-06T00:15:00.000+12:002015-05-06T00:15:00.061+12:00Residential Red Zone offer feedback soughtCERA is seeking feedback on their Preliminary Draft Residential Red Zone Offer Recovery Plan. Comments must be submitted by 5.00pm on the 19th of May. The Draft plan starts off by explaining the “why?”. The purpose of developing the ‘Residential Red Zone Offer Recovery Plan’ is to assist the Crown (through the Chief Executive of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (“CERA”)) to determineUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-23646685650593856562015-04-30T06:10:00.000+12:002015-04-30T06:10:00.379+12:00Legal class action against Southern Response?Wednesday’s Press has an article Southern Response class action ‘no win, no fee’ here. The proposal, offered by law firm GCA lawyers, is for “disgruntled customers of a major earthquake claims-holder to join "no win, no fee"class action lawsuit.” Sounds too good to be true (and potentially is). Click on the link to continue. The following extract from the Press article is important and needs toUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-74714339674480357262015-04-28T06:40:00.000+12:002015-04-28T06:40:00.283+12:00Insurance Ombudsman wants insurance legislation to cover non-disclosure of informationThe Insurance Business New Zealand website is reporting that the Insurance and Savings Ombudsman Karen Stevens supports legislation to better protect customers relating to information they disclose to an insurer. The following are extracts from the article (the full article is here). Karen Stevens says legislation would mean an insurer could only avoid a policy where it could show the Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-62298152298564859702015-04-21T21:20:00.000+12:002015-04-21T21:20:00.774+12:00A plan followed by consultation for the outstanding red zone Crown offersEarthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has decided that everyone can have a say on what level of pay-out should be provided to those in the Red Zones who have been ineligible so far (uninsured owners of land and property). It is hard to tell whether the Minister has suddenly been overcome by a desire to indulge in participatory decision making or it is a device to allow public participation Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-83886965211611932512015-04-15T13:30:00.000+12:002015-04-15T13:30:01.866+12:00Help with making an Official Information Act (OIA) requestThe New Zealand Herald is helping to re-establish a website designed to make requesting official information as easy as possible. From the Herald’s website: The Herald is helping relaunch FYI.org.nz - a website which helps members of the public to make Official Information Act (OIA) requests. Rowan Crawford, a software developer, set up the FYI website after a 2009 Open Government event as the Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-4383356578524380372015-03-23T06:15:00.000+13:002015-03-23T06:15:00.074+13:00Fair Insurance Code 2016– where to now?The revised Fair Insurance Code has yet to be ratified. It is to be considered at the ICNZ AGM some time this month and “there may be minor adjustments” to the Code. One wonders what “minor” might allow by way of changes. Will keep you posted on what is decided. In the meantime there will be a break at the Avonside Blog until early April, unless something interesting arises. . Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-25037063386712261602015-03-22T08:15:00.000+13:002015-03-22T08:15:00.058+13:00Concerned IAG may cash you out?Lawyer Duncan Webb from law firm Lane Neave has written an article My insurer wants to cash settle my claim … which covers the issues IAG customers might find themselves facing. The article is here. It is very informative, practical and a worthwhile read even if IAG is not your insurer. IAG customers are likely to feel a bit more at ease for having read it. . Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-76110380964092144822015-03-20T07:18:00.000+13:002015-03-20T07:18:00.359+13:00Summarising the Revised Fair Insurance Code – Part 3Insurance policies and the associated code of conduct cannot be seen in isolation from those who buy the policies, and the claims experiences they undergo. So far the Revised Code has been considered without much direct reference to the human experience. These are experiences other New Zealanders can anticipate undergoing, should there be another disaster and the Code remains substantially Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-38372026757432606022015-03-17T06:30:00.000+13:002015-03-17T06:30:00.386+13:00Summarising the Revised Fair Insurance Code – Part 2In this post we will look at whether the Code is fair or transparent, and whether utmost good faith remains relevant to New Zealand insurance practices. Is it a Fair code? No. There is no definition within the Revised Code explaining what fairness is. In the world of dictionaries there are varying definitions, with the Oxford Dictionary giving this: “Impartial and just treatment or behaviour Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-62296419195720001912015-03-12T06:35:00.000+13:002015-03-12T06:35:00.747+13:00Summarising the Revised Fair Insurance Code and its shortcomings – Part 1The Fair Insurance Code serves two purposes: operational and political. Operationally the Code exists to briefly sketch how insurance processes work, to make customers aware that both insurers and they have rights and obligations, and that failure to fulfil the obligations carries penalties. In practice the Code places wide, strict and complicated obligations upon customers and narrow flexible Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-90712792323603883442015-03-09T06:50:00.000+13:002015-03-09T06:50:00.351+13:00Fair Insurance Code Questions & Answers – Part 3In the previous post, covering FAQ 7, it was stated that an underlying purpose of the Code was to pre-empt any external control on how insurers carried out their business. The point was also made that as far as interpreting insurance policies is concerned, insurers are very strong advocates of the Humpty Dumpty Position: "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, "it Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-55871537753401339772015-03-07T08:20:00.000+13:002015-03-07T08:20:00.255+13:00Fair Insurance Code Questions & Answers – Part 2Why is ICNZ so keen on having a Fair Insurance Code, and prickly over criticism directed at the Code? At an operational level the Code is a useful means of providing a standard approach to offering, selling and administering insurance. This has benefits to insurers as they want customers to have a feeling of ease and security in buying and keeping insurance. It works quite well, with New ZealandUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-2320372841463977932015-03-06T06:35:00.000+13:002015-03-06T06:35:00.148+13:00A helpful change to the insurance disputes process coming up?Yesterday Paul Goldsmith, Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs, announced the opening of consultations on changes to the maximum amount that could be taken to the insurance industry’s disputes resolution services (the full media release is below). The change proposed is an “… increase to the cap on the compensation that dispute resolution schemes can award in relation to Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-14903267350129463362015-03-05T07:30:00.000+13:002015-03-05T07:30:00.422+13:00Kaiapoi Red Zone photographic exhibitionThe Kaiapoi Public Library is currently hosting an exhibition of Red Zone photographs by Cosmo Kentish-Barnes. Cosmo spent a few months around Kaiapoi photographing earthquake damage. From this arose a project to photograph "exiled residents" in front of their red stickered homes, or the land where once they had a home. Each photograph is accompanied by a brief account of the Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-37758699087941927562015-03-04T06:21:00.000+13:002015-03-04T06:21:00.732+13:00Fair Insurance Code FAQ – Part 1The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is not part of the Revised Code, just an explanation of the Review process and some of the positions taken by ICNZ on particular issues. While the FAQ may give an idea of what is intended in the Revised Code, it cannot be used to make an insurer interpret the Revised Code in any particular way. Parts of the FAQ are purely background information so there is Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6466099378973347244.post-29598215201716091752015-03-02T06:35:00.000+13:002015-03-02T06:35:00.301+13:00Assessing the ICNZ Revised Fair Insurance Code - Part 3This post considers the final part of the Revised Code. As we move towards the way claims are processed there are welcome improvements. Pages 8 & 9 What happens when you make a claim Our responsibilities Paragraph 26: We will manage your claims quickly, fairly and transparently. As noted previously, the issue of what is meant by “fairly” remains unresolved. Who determines Unknownnoreply@blogger.com