A Wellington broker says the damage caused by the Kaikoura and Christchurch earthquakes has highlighted the need for insurance brokers to use cloud-based services.
The comment comes after Road Transport Forum chief executive Ken Shirley announced that SH1 around Kaikoura will reopen today for the first time since the earthquake devastated the region on November 14, 2016.
Insurance adviser Jeff Elias said overall Wellington house fared well during the Kaikoura earthquake, which caused extensive damage to the seaside town and to the downtown centre of the capital. However, he reiterated the importance of using flexible solutions that aren’t locked into a specific geographical location, such as cloud computing, highlighting that business continuity measures are vital for brokers and financial advisers.
“We never know when we may have to re-invent ourselves or tweak the direction of our business,” Elias said.
Wiremu Patrick, also a Wellington-based broker, said homeowners need to be aware of potential risks and ensure they are able to get insurance on a particular property before they make an offer or go unconditional.
“New Zealand is on the radar for insurers and reinsurers due to the recent quakes over the last few years,” Patrick said.
Authorities had promised to reopen SH1 around Kaikoura before the busy Christmas break and they have delivered on that.
Shirley said: “to open the complete route 13 months after one of the most significant earthquakes this country has had and considering the amount of damage done to the coastline, is a substantial achievement. The thousands of people who worked on the project over the last year deserve our industry’s gratitude.
“To move one million cubic metres of material from 1,500 damaged sites along 194 kilometres of road in a matter of months is quite a feat, and to do it while dealing with some significant adverse weather events makes it even more remarkable.
“The road’s reopening is of course good news; however, it is important that operators are mindful of the fragile nature of the route and the frustrations that will inevitably occur along it.”
Two sections will be closed from 8.30pm to 7.00am - north of Kaikoura between Clarence and Mangamaunu and south of Kaikoura between Goose Bay and Peketa – while there will be other areas that are unsealed or with temporary seal, various lane closures and stop/go signals.
“Advice is that travel in one direction will take a minimum of five-and-a-half hours and significant delays can be expected, therefore operators who are able to may wish to persevere with the inland route in the short term,” Shirley added.
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