Plenty of Questions Remain Unanswered Despite Clarification on EQ Recovery Issues

Around 700 people left standing room only at the first of the CERA community meetings for Green Zoners last evening.

The Shirley Intermediate Hall was bursting at the seams as representatives from the key players in the city rebuild made presentations and answered questions from upset and angry residents.

TC3 Resident Group Spokesperson, Kiri Hider, took the microphone after EQC’s Bruce Emson presented, to clarify the situation around the drilling programme, something she says has become all about money and less about accuracy and reasonable timeframes.

“The discussions between the City Council, the Department of Building and Housing and EQC around “broadening consents” related to far fewer drill holes, concerns us greatly,” she says, Hider says the DBH guidelines make it clear that two drill holes per section were required to gain a consent to rebuild foundations, but that has now been changed to one per three sections.

“Many of us know that the type of soil can vary hugely, sometimes by up to ten metres deep or more, only a few metres apart on the same section. We also object to Mr Emson suggesting that if EQC did what many of us want – complete accurate drilling as per the original DBH guidelines – we would be waiting for many more years until the drilling programme would be completed.” Kiri Hider adds that the fact that Mr Emson refused to answer a question about which insurance companies are a part of the drilling programme and which aren’t, was perplexing.

“This must be all about money. We know budgets are important, we know that it’s not a bottomless pot but we have a right to know which of our insurance companies are in and which aren’t. It’s like a game to them and I can tell you know, our lives are not a game nor should they be treated as such. The TC3 Residents Association is still unclear as to why more drills and more staff to manage the testing is such a difficult thing to action. Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” says Hider.

One positive to come out of the meeting according to TC3 resident Ali Jones was Bruce Emson’s categorical response to a question asked about people who believe they are “over cap”, still waiting for correct and full assessments so that they can receive their $100k plus GST and start working with their insurance company.

“EQC’s Reid Stiven a few weeks ago on local talkback made it very clear that one woman in particular who believes she is well over cap (indicative of many others I believe) would not be reassessed by EQC despite her damage being scoped as being $10k and $100k. Mr Emson clearly stated last night that people like this woman can and will be reassessed. That is a big step forward and if the assessments are done fully and correctly, will mean many people can at least start to move to the next stage of dealing with their insurance companies,” says Jones.

The TC3 Residents Association encourages all residents, to attend the meetings as they are rolled out around the city over the next month.

“We need to know what is happening regarding our homes and we need to communicate with the key players in the suburban rebuild what we feel is acceptable and what is not. We live in a democracy after all,” she says.

ENDS

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