Media release

Vero upskilling staff to help with assessing large volume of EQC claims

20 November 2023

Nearly 10 months on from the Auckland flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle, Vero Insurance New Zealand is continuing to support the work of Toka Tū Ake EQC, providing additional training to employees across the business to become assessors for EQCover claims under the EQC Act.

David Drillien, Head of Disaster Response at Vero says the team are working alongside their project management partners, Morgan Project Services, in offering this upskilling opportunity to staff across both Vero and Morgan Project Services to assist its customers.

“The Auckland and Northland flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle earlier this year brought on a larger volume of claims than we had ever worked through at one time before. As these events become more common, having more people with the skills to assess the Toka Tū Ake EQC component of claims is beneficial for both our business and our customers.”

Jamie Burnett, NDRA Delivery Manager, Morgan Project Services, says getting people across the business through the training provides Vero with a huge amount of scalability for future weather events. 

In 2020, the insurer was one of many private insurers who announced alongside EQC Toka Tū Ake the commencement of the Natural Disaster Response Agreement (NDRA) which saw insurers manage the land claim on behalf of EQC. This agreement aimed to help customers have a single point of contact for their claims and enable insurers to look after the entire process, removing duplication, double-handling and uncertainty.

Toka Tū Ake EQC requires assessors to be suitably qualified under a specific framework to be able to undertake this work.

Drillien says, the upskilling has meant the insurer is able to leverage expertise from across the business and improve the way New Zealanders who are affected by a natural disaster are supported. 

Bevan McGillivray, Loss Adjustor at Vero and an assessor for EQCover claims has recently undertaken this upskilling opportunity. He says that one of the benefits of this training is helping minimise misinformation through education while completing assessments and helping support customers during what is generally a difficult time for them.

The training was offered to a number of employees across Vero and Morgan Project Services and includes a multi-day course with a range of assessments that people are required to complete.

“As we have been upskilling more people, we’re getting better at facilitating the training each time, so have been able to improve on our processes for future employees completing the course,” says Burnett.

For more information, please contact: Molly.Kirkbride@suncorp.co.nz

Notes: 

• Aotearoa is one of the only places in the world to provide some cover for residential land through Toka Tū Ake, however, assessing entitlements is complicated and requires trained and skilled assessors to ensure customers receive their entitlements under the Act.