Request information
You can make official requests for information from us using our online form, and we will share that information with you unless there is a good reason not to. The most common information request that we receive is for claims information relating to property. You can also make a request for information such as personal information, or our internal policies.
How to make an official information request
You can make an official information request using our online form.
You can also make a request in writing to: Official Information Act Requests, Earthquake Commission, PO Box 790, Wellington 6012.
Please be as specific as you can in your request to help us identify the information you are looking for.
We will let you know when we have received your request, and in some situations, we will contact you for more information. Once your response is ready, we will send it to you using your preferred contact method. We prefer to respond to your request via email, but we can courier it to you if required.
We aim to include all the relevant requested documentation with our response. For large or complex responses, we may need to send the information to you in batches or via a secure file transfer service.
We'll make a decision about your request and communicate it to you as soon as possible and no later than 20 working days after we have received it.
The Official Information Calculator on the Office of the Ombudsman's website will help you estimate the maximum response time.
If we need more time to complete your request, we’ll let you know in writing as soon as possible, and within 20 working days of receiving your request. We will let you know what new date you can expect the full response by.
If we believe that the information you have requested is held by another agency, or is more closely connected with another agency’s functions, we will transfer your request to that agency. If this happens we will let you know within 10 working days.
You can make an official information request from us for information such as:
- claim information related to a property
- our internal policies or procedures
- personal information.
Official information means any information held by an agency, subject to the Official Information Act.
It is usually free to request information that relates to your claim or property. We will sometimes charge if you make an OIA request for:
- claim-related information without having a direct, personal interest in that claim
- non-claim related information.
If we decide to charge for a request you have made, we will write to let you know.
Our Charging for Official Information Requests Policy outlines how and when we will charge for an OIA request. This policy is based on the Ombudsman’s charging guidelines and the Ministry of Justice’s charging guidelines.
Under the OIA, information will be made available to you unless there is a good reason to withhold it. We may only withhold information for specific reasons set out in the OIA Act. If this happens, we'll let you know why.
Requests for claim-related information
Anyone can request copies of historic claim information relating to a property from us. Whether you are buying or selling, it’s important to know whether the property has had previous natural disaster damage, and whether this has been properly repaired.
We can only provide information that is available at the time that the request is made. For example, a request for information on an unsettled claim won’t include a settlement date, or any expected timeframes.
If you have more questions once you have received a response from us, please call us on 0800 DAMAGE.
Before making an official information request for claim information, you can check to see what information is freely available.
- The Natural Hazard Portal claims map shows all settled EQCover claims in New Zealand from 1977 onwards. The map will show you whether a claim has been settled, and what type of claim it was.
- Contact your insurer for information on open claims. If your claim is being managed by your private insurer, you can request claim information directly from them. If your claim is being managed by us, please call us on 0800 DAMAGE.
Potential buyers will want to see any documents you can provide relating to any previous EQCover claims, including the damage that was assessed and the status of any repairs.
Request these documents from us using our online form before putting your home on the market so they are available for prospective buyers. Your lawyer or real estate agent can also make this request for this information on your behalf.
As a home buyer it’s very important to ask the seller or the real estate agent if it has had any previous natural disaster damage. You can ask for copies of the documents that relate to the damage that was assessed and the status of the repairs. This is an important part of your due diligence when purchasing a home in an area that has been impacted by natural hazards.
If the seller is unable to provide the correct documents, you can make a request for claim information from us using our online form. Your lawyer or real estate agent can also make this request for information on your behalf.
Types of claim information we can provide
When you request claim information on a property from us, the information we provide will depend on:
- the type of hazard
- what damage occurred
- that documents were produced in order to settle the claim
- the type of settlement
- who the claim was settled with.
Where the property was affected by a storm, flood or landslip you may receive:
- specialist reports if they were undertaken (engineer report, valuation report)
- assessment report (if there’s no engineer report)
- costed scope of works.
Where the property was affected by an earthquake you may receive:
- assessment report
- costed/uncosted scope of works.
Canterbury earthquake sequence claim information
The documents in the following lists are specific to the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes.
For properties referred to the Canterbury Home Repair Programme (CHRP) you might receive:
- assessments of the damage (this may include costed and un-costed scopes of work, statement of claim or statement of damage, scope changes summaries)
- works orders and variation to works orders
- specialist reports if they were undertaken (engineer reports, electrical assessments, asbestos testing, mould testing)
- quotes for the damage
- consenting documents
- financial summary or property overview
- final account agreements
- construction completion inspection
- defects liability certificate
- practical completion certificate
- producer statements.
When a claim has been settled for less than $15,000 you might receive:
- statement of claim
- statement of damage
- un-costed scope of works
- costed scope of works
- claim settlement advice letter (only for homeowners that were cash-settled for the claim).
When repairs to the property cost more than $15,000, some homeowners opted out of the Canterbury Home Repair Programme and instead received a cash settlement to complete the repairs themselves. For this type of settlement, you might receive:
- original scope of works/comet full assessment
- financial summary
- property overview
- payment form documents
- letters confirming payments have been made/accepted
- quotes
- invoices.
If there was an assessment for damage to your drains, you might receive:
- drainage report
- drainage assessments
- drainage sketches
- video footage
- file notes pertaining to drainage
- photographs relating to drainage.
If there was simple land damage you might receive:
- sketch
- legend
- file notes
- scope of works
- multi-unit building land docs.
If the property was considered for an Increased Liquefaction Vulnerability (ILV) settlement, you might receive:
- ILV reports (includes maps)
- summary.
If the property was considered for an Increased Flooding Vulnerability (IFV) settlement, you might receive:
- IFV reports (includes maps)
- summary.