Storm claims cost commission $3m

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34099, 11 March 1976, Page 2

Storm claims cost commission $3m

i Assessors checking claims to the Earth--quake and War i Damages Commission as a result of last [ August’s storm are beginning to see daylight !—SOOO claims and more than s3m later.

Details of some claims are still coming in. but only

some 300 remain to be settled. The commission’s secretary (Mr J. L. Gill) said yesterday that about 10,000 claims had been lodged with the commission in the few weeks immediately after the storm, but of these only 8000 or so could be related directly to the “big blow”. Because final figures had not been extracted yet, it was not possible to give an accurate assessment of what the storm had cost the commission, but it was "certainly in excess of s3m.” The commission handled about one-third of the claims arising from . the storm. Insurance companies dealt with the rest, he said. Few of the claims to the commission were domestic;! most were for farm outbuildings, reflecting the lower standards of construcItion required, said Mr Gill. ! No new claims can be [considered by the commisIsion but if a claim relates to [ damage previously notified it [will be considered. As an [example. Mr Gill cited one claim recently approved. A farmer had notified the commission of his intended claim seven months ago, but had only last month been [able to get a builder to do [the repairs. These had [proved more expensive than [the first assessment and the i farmer’s new claim was approved by the commission. Some delays had been exiperienced in settling claims

because in many instances the claims had to be checked with insurance companies which were "just as boxed in as the commission.” An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 claims had been lodged with the commission and insurance companies as a result of the storm and it was inevitable that there would be some delays.