Many queries on compensation

Press, 29 December 1976, Page 4

Many queries on compensation

PA

Wellington

Many Hutt Valley flood victims are bewildered about their compensation rights arising from property damage.

The Mayor of Lower'l Hutt (Mr J. Kennedy- ' Good) said he had re- , ceived numerous ap- > proaches seeking assistance and advice because the Earthquake and War Damage Commission and insurance companies I were apparently “tossing the ball to and fro” over claims. •‘Something has to be sorted out between the commission and the insurance companies,” said Mr Kennedy-Good. ‘‘l appreciate there is probably some difficult v at administration level because of the holiday period. but this is a situation demanding urgency and action.' The main trouble appeared to be over deposits of salt, rock, rubble, and water on properties and the damage, caused, he said. The earthquake and War Damage Commission had. of course, a very restricted field in which itcould operate" which had to be appreciated by all con-, cemed. The relief centre in Lower I Hutt has also been beseiged by people with similar problems to those expressed to Mr Kennedy-Good, and this has

prompted the Mayor to sug-J gest that in the interests of! suffering people, the commis-) sion and insurers might meet as early as possible to pre-: pare guidelines to help, people. Meanwhile, the gigantic! job of clearing up goes on. ! ft is now more than a week • (since more than 300 mm of’ ram within 24 hours deluged The Hutt Valley area. Mr Kennedv-Good has es-i timated, conservatively, that] at least 40 families are still! in the category of evacuees, j Camera-clicking sightseers ) were not so troublesome yes- j terdav. but in the Belmont) area they were thicker than: elsewhere. Irate residents ! sought radio assistance in; asking people not to come, and for those in the area to leave — and stay away—unless they were there to work. Thousands of tonnes of mud, silt, soil, and rubble were shifted yesterday, but ■people say that only a dent has been made in the work [ involved. "With the statutory holidays now over, we expect '.contractors to move in today on a full-scale blitz on the affected areas,” said Mr I Kennedy-Good. I| ‘‘Given fine weather, contractors and their earth-; • moving machinery' can be! ; expected to make headway!

| outdoors; but indors, there is 'still a lot of work for shovel I and wheelbarrow.” he said. ! ("I am sure volunteers will be I gratefully acknowledged and ■appreciated. ' “A representative of the j Church of Jesus Christ of ; Latter-Day Saints has orgaaI ised 40 men to move in and I give two days free labour,” |Mr Kennedy-Good said. ! "This will be on top of all i the other work by volunteers, I including representatives of (service clubs.” Light rain yesterday ham ipered clean-up w< ■’ The Hutt Valley will get ; some Government help in j the form of a National Roads I Board subsidy, to repair flood 'damage, it has been aninounced. Valley local bodies may also receive grants to repair damaged roads and services. The Minister of Works and [Development (Mr W. L. Young) said that after the cost of repairs had been assessed, a formula was applied to determine the amount of subsidy the Roads Board would offer. The board would pay a subsidy, but the question was the extent to which grants would be considered. The formula allocYs for grants to be paid if repair .costs exceed a certain ■I figure.