$l00,000 BILL

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33933, 28 August 1975, Page 1

$l00,000 BILL

As much as $lOO,OOO worth of damage might have been caused by land slips in Canterbury as a result of last week’s flooding, of which about $BO,OOO is expected to be recoverable from the Earthquake and War Damages Commission, writes Oliver Riddell. The secretary of the commission (Mr J. L. Gill) said in Wellington yesterday that he had heard of 28 claims for land slips so far. but more were com-

ing in as the assessors were able to reach the more remote parts of Banks Peninsula. The commission would pay the full value of insured property damaged by slips, but about 25 per cent of the damage would have been to uninsured property. “We expect between 200 and 300 claims from water damage alone, but I have no idea of the likely costs involved in this yet,” he said.

“Flooding is a, messy business and we work on the basis that it is more important to view the damage and get it cleaned up than to assess costs immediately — that can be done later.” Many more flooding claims than the 200 to 300 would be included as part of cla.ims from damage resulting from the storm three weeks previously, so it was not likely that a total figure for water damage on its own would be available.