Boxing Day Christchurch quake claims near 7000

The Earthquake Commission (EQC) says it has received nearly 7000 claims from Christchurch's Boxing Day 4.9 magnitude aftershock, making it a bigger claims event than Gisborne's 6.8 magnitude quake three years earlier.

The 6895 claims meant the quake was a sizeable event in its own right, EQC chief executive Ian Simpson said.

The EQC received 6200 claims from the Gisborne quake.

The total number of claims received to date following Canterbury's 7.1 magnitude quake on September 4 and subsequent aftershocks was 168,731.

The total paid out on claims was $615 million, about 20 per cent of the expected payout, Mr Simpson said.

The EQC had settled 30,125 claims, completed assessments for a further 25,317 and begun assessments for another 25,805.

This totalled to 81,247, which was 48 per cent of all claims received, and likely to be a higher proportion of single, valid claims, he said.

Meanwhile, EQC's Brisbane claims' management office has re-opened after being closed on Wednesday because of flooding in Queensland.

- NZPA