Quake damage payouts reach $188m

The Earthquake Commission (EQC) has paid out another $43 million this week on claims for damaged homes in the Canterbury earthquake.

Payments by EQC for damage to residential property reached $188 million this week, up from $145 million a week ago, commission chief operating officer Lance Dixon said.

"We have now paid out on 12,310 building claims (up from 7763 a week ago), 8197 contents claims (up from 5141), and five minor land claims."

He added claims were still coming in at an average of about 600 a day even though it had been 10 weeks since the earthquake and people had only another three weeks to lodge claims.

Assessments of damaged properties were averaging between 800 and 1000 a day.

"We are aware of the frustration of many claimants and grateful that most appreciate the enormity of the task EQC is facing and accept that it will be some time before the process will be complete.

"In the meantime, our project manager Fletcher Construction has established our first site offices for repairs in the around $10,000 to $100,000 range and the non-emergency repair work is starting in earnest."

Latest claims figures show that Christchurch has the most claims (91,267) followed by Selwyn (9087), Waimakariri (7616), Timaru (2947) and Ashburton (2431).

More than 2000 claims have been lodged from places as far afield as Queenstown-Lakes (99), Westland (33) and Lower Hutt (16).

- NZPA