The In the Know Hub at Eastgate Shopping Centre has been open for nine weeks now and it’s proving to be of enough value to keep it going until (at least) the end of August. The weekly Thursday seminars have been well attended and we hope the videos are being shared far and wide to those who would benefit. Numbers are averaging a steady 50 people a day and the feedback from those people is positive. But who is coming and what really happens at the Hub?
There are three different groups of people that come to the Hub. Firstly there are those people who are coming for an appointment they have made with EQC Customer Contact Team, Residential Advisory Service or Earthquake Support Coordinators. They know who they are seeing and why they are there.
Secondly there are the walk-ins. Walk-ins may be dropping in to talk to council because they know they are there are that time or they could just be coming to find out if the Hub has something to offer them. These people are greeted by our awesome community hosts who have a bit of a yak to understand how they can get the best support in place. Help may look like a few different options – answering a simple question, an introduction to the right team at the Hub (EQC Customer Contact Team, RAS, ESCS, CCC, MBIE), escalating a case to a private insurer for some attention or just being heard by people who know how tough it can be to be a resident trying to get through the earthquake claim process. They are great listeners and that’s their speciality.
The third group is a more troubling set of people. These are the people who might walk past the Hub a few times looking in but not stepping inside. They can stand outside and can seem a bit lost. These are people who might know that the Hub is there to help but have no real idea of how to explain what they need. They may have found that all things earthquake related now overwhelm them so even the thought of starting that conversation can be a tough decision. These people are also the community host’s speciality – they’re pretty good at spotting them, reaching out and offering the right kind of care and support. We love our hosts!
We are seeing some good progress for residents who come into the Hub and although it’s not always lightning fast yet (we’re working on that), people have a pretty good shot of at least being put in touch with the right people to help. We can say hand on heart that the people who staff the Hub from all the different agencies and organisations are working incredibly hard to help the people that walk through the door. But from CanCERN’s perspective, we are also seeing where things could be done better within the agencies to support their own frontline staff – wait times reduced, follow ups done quicker, and resolution reached earlier. These are organisational issues for the most part so we will do what we have always done and that is to work with the agencies to see where and how improvements for homeowners can be made. We can almost hear the cries of, ‘too little too late’ but we are determined that we will continue to get things working better for those who are still in the thick of it.
If you live on the other side of town to Eastgate or are planning to go to the Star Home and Leisure Show this weekend, come find us and have a chat about how In the Know Hub may be able to help you or someone you know.
EQC land claims: Q&A
We’ve recently received some answers to a few questions put to EQC regarding land claims. They relate to deed of assignment (DOA) and how/when property owners will hear about compensation for different types of land damage.
Q: If no part of the land claim has been settled whilst waiting on IFV determination (i.e. category 1-7 damage) does EQC intend to make that settlement notification separately from the IFV notification or include it in this notification? If the former, it might be helpful to reference that in the IFV notification and provide some indication of timeframe.
A: EQC is committed to give customers certainty for all types of potential land damage on their property at the same time. So this means that when a customer finds out about their IFV land damage they will also hear about the visible land damage i.e. categories 1-7 either via the settlement pack or in the phone call that follows the pack.
Q: When a DOA on land claim is in place with the private insurer I assume this notification will go to the private insurer. Will the homeowner be notified the claim has been settled with the private insurer at the same time the insurer is notified of settlement?
A: In cases where a homeowner has assigned their land claims to their private insurer, we will send the homeowner a notification (confirmation of whether their property has or has not been confirmed as having IFV damage) at the same time the land settlement pack is sent to their private insurer. The customer could then discuss further with their private insurer if they wished.
Q: With a DOA in place are there conditions under which EQC are able to engage in the review process directly with the homeowner? What would be required to enable this?
A: It will depend on the individual circumstances of the DOA. It would not be possible for EQC to enter into a review process with a homeowner if they have fully assigned the claim to an insurer.
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Some cool new stuff from All Right
The new app from the All Right team helps you improve your health and wellbeing by reminding you to do the simple things that make a difference.
You just have to choose an area of your life that could use a little TLC and the app will send you a daily ‘mini mission’ that will help you to feel good and be at your best.
All of us here at CanCERN have given the app a crack and we think it’s pretty great. The mini missions are simple, but make a real difference to how you’re feeling.
Give it a go and tell your friends!
Download the app here: allright.org.nz/app
Oh, and before we forget, there’s one more cool thing All Right has launched. It’s a poster generator. We won’t say too much other than it involves personalised posters and walking…
Click the link to end your confusion: walkingposters.allright.org.nz
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Dudley Creek public consultation
>> Click here to make an online submission <<
MEDIA RELEASE – Dudley Creek options and consultation
Christchurch City Council is seeking the views of residents in the Dudley Creek area and the wider community, on three proposed downstream options. These options reduce flooding of homes in the Dudley Creek catchment including the Flockton area, that has been made worse by earthquake-related land damage. The works aim to return the Flockton area to its pre-earthquake flood risk.
The Council initially consulted with the community in November 2014 on its then preferred option for Dudley Creek long-term flood remediation. This option proposed widening and deepening Dudley Creek along Banks Avenue between the Avon River and North Parade to increase the capacity of the waterway so floodwater can more effectively pass through to the Avon River.
More than 125 responses were received. While a majority of the residents supported the scheme overall, residents expressed a strong desire to protect the area’s mature trees and natural habitat along Banks Avenue. They also supported investigating an alternative bypass option from Warden Street to divert floodwater through an alternative route.
Community feedback along with further technical advice formed a report that went to the Council on 11 December 2014.
At this meeting elected members were very conscious of the impact the proposed preferred option would have on the Dudley Creek environment and surrounding areas and resolved to progress the Dudley Creek works in two sections – upstream work (areas approximately west of Stapletons Road) which was approved, and downstream work where a more detailed comparison of options (including the alternative
bypass option) was required. These are the proposed options we are consulting with you on now.
- Option A – Warden Street, Shirley Intermediate School piped bypass and localised Banks Avenue channel works.
- Option B – Warden Street, Shirley Intermediate School, Marian College, Richmond Park and Residential Red Zone (or Medway Street) piped bypass.
- Option C – Localised Stapletons Road channel works and piped bypass in Petrie Street, Randall Street and Medway Street.
Options A and B vary significantly from the initial designs that were reported to the Council on 11 December 2014. This is in response to community feedback from the November 2014 consultation. We have undertaken further, more specific and detailed assessment, surveying and design work and this information is included in this consultation booklet.
Option A has reduced in scale along Banks Avenue, with fewer tree removals and no requirement for widening work on private land. Option B proposes an underground pipe for the entire bypass length.
Option C was reported to the Council in December 2014 and was not preferred at that time due to conflicts with other underground infrastructure. However, further analysis of the downstream options after a peer review has shown that Option C has comparable benefits to Options A and B at a similar cost. This option impacts different areas of Dudley Creek and the Council now needs to find out the communities’ views and preferences on it.
What we are seeking your views on now
The Flockton area was at risk of flooding before the Canterbury Earthquakes, but the risk has significantly increased post- earthquake due to land settlement and deformation. All of the proposed options are expected to reduce the frequency and severity of flooding in the Flockton area. In a major storm event (1 in 50 year event) the works reduce the number of homes likely to flood above the floor from 91 to 10. In a 1 in 10 year storm event the number of floor levels at risk reduces from 55 to three. The Council is in close contact with these residents whose properties are predicted to continue to flood above the floor level.
Overall, the work will reduce flood depth for at least 585 properties. These options will effectively return most of the catchment to the same level of flood risk, or slightly better, than before the Canterbury Earthquakes. This target is the same as the one included in the previous November 2014 consultation. There will still be flooding of some streets and properties even after the scheme is constructed.
>> Click here to make an online submission <<
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