Age Concern New Zealand welcomed the opportunity to submit feedback to Toka Tū Ake EQC on the Natural Hazards Insurance Act dispute resolution scheme.
The dispute resolution process appears sound to us. There is a clear pathway and clear regular
communication is required with all parties throughout the process. We are pleased to see an appeal
process through the courts is available if any of the parties involved are unhappy with the
adjudicator's decision. We agree with a timeframe of 90 days after the date the dispute is referred to
the mediation process being built into the process. Lengthy processes with no defined end point place
unreasonable additional pressure on homeowners.
One of the challenges will be how homeowners get to hear about the dispute resolution scheme and
whether they have the confidence and resources to take a dispute to the scheme provider. The cost
involved may be a deterrent despite the Commission being responsible for the costs of administering
the Scheme itself. We are interested to know how low fixed income homeowners, including those
living solely on New Zealand Superannuation, will be assisted to engage with the disputes process.
The cost for legal representation would be prohibitive for many superannuitants and other low fixed
income New Zealanders.
We are pleased that homeowners can take a support person with them to mediation and any meetings
with the mediator, adjudicator or the Commission. This will be especially important for some older
people, people with disabilities and those for whom English is a second language. Having a support
person will help many homeowners to deal with a process that is unfamiliar and formal