Stadium carries on without roof fix

ASB Baypark Stadium was pounded by a tornado on May 14. Photo / George Novak

Roof repairs at ASB Baypark Stadium estimated to cost more than $500,000 after a tornado in May have yet to start. But Bay Venues chief executive Gary Dawson says it has been business as usual.

"The damage has had little impact on the stadium. We have been able to host rugby games, even though the roof hasn't been repaired," Mr Dawson said.

Work so far involved removal of the damaged roof material, making the site safe, engineering evaluations and preparation of tender documents. Tenders had closed and were being evaluated, he said.

The total estimated cost to repair/replace the roof was between $450,000 and $500,000, plus GST, he said.

So far this year, three mini tornadoes have ripped through Tauranga and caused millions of dollars in damage.

IAG insurance group spokeswoman Denise Bailey said it had received about 60 claims for tornadoes that affected the Bay of Plenty earlier this year, across its State and AMI brands.

Between July 18 and July 19 it received 17 claims, while there were 46 lodged for the May Mount Maunganui tornado and two building/contents claims as a result of the weather event on February 26, she said.

"The nature of the claims made across these weather events was mixed but most related to the Mount Maunganui tornado were as a result of roof tiles being lifted by wind, or impact damage from items - such as garden furniture - being picked up in strong gusts."

Insurance Council of New Zealand spokeswoman Sarah Knox said 176 claims worth $2.07 million had been lodged with insurance companies as a result of the May 14 tornado that hit Mount Maunganui, underlining the importance of being insured.

Tauranga City Council chief financial officer Paul Davidson said it bought insurance through a collective of nine councils.

Its total premium spend for 2014/15 was just under $1.5 million, a 20 per cent decrease on the current year, he said.

"When you add the $700 million of assets that TCC insures into the mix with the wider group of councils, one claim for the stadium has little impact on the overall premium."

Meanwhile, the Western Bay of Plenty District Council paid $329,252.20 in insurance premiums in 2014/15 compared to $398,925.81 in 2013/14. The Bay of Plenty Regional Council's total premium for 2015/16 was $546,138.65, compared to $577,233.51 in 2014/15.