3. Question No. 3—FinanceDr TRACEY McLELLAN (Labour—Banks Peninsula) to the Associate Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 3—Finance3. Dr TRACEY McLELLAN (Labour—Banks Peninsula) to the Associate Minister of Finance: What support does the Government continue to have in place to help people resolve outstanding earthquake-related insurance issues in Canterbury?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Associate Minister of Finance): In response to outstanding issues years on from the Canterbury earthquake sequence the Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service was established in 2018 to provide a one-stop shop for homeowners to resolve their claims. For many the trauma of re-repairs and stress from multiple insurance claims was compounded by a system that was complex to navigate and left homeowners stranded with no options left. The service operates as a free-to-access impartial pathway with a single point of contact to manage cases allowing coordination across agencies and organisations. It also provides engineering and legal expertise as well as a wraparound support for homeowners. While there is still more to do I'm proud to be part of a Government that is continuing to support people in Christchurch so that they can move on with their lives.Dr Tracey McLellan: What feedback has she received from homeowners about the Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service? Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: It's heartening to know that 88 percent of homeowners who have used the service say that they would recommend the service to others. The service has supported 1819 claims close to date including 135 in December which is the highest number to date. One claimant spoke of how it was such a relief to have someone who understood my concerns was able to keep it all in perspective and had the knowledge and ability to explain each step we had to take and give me a full picture so I could understand the procedure and the repair methodology." Another stated "I am eternally grateful to my case manager as I was a mess when she was appointed to me and now I'm pleased to say although not fully recovered I'm on the right road." I'd like to take this opportunity to thank our people at the service for the incredible work they are doing in supporting homeowners through this process. Dr Tracey McLellan: How does the Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service relate to other Government initiatives to support Canterbury homeowners and future responses to natural disasters? Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: It has been a priority for our Government to ensure that insurance claims can be settled people's homes can be fixed and importantly people can get on with their lives. We've made changes to the Earthquake Commission (EQC) Act including increasing the EQC building cap removing cover for contents clarifying EQC's ability to share information and extending the time frames EQC can accept claims. We're also funding ex gratia payments for people with over-cap on-sold properties in Canterbury. We established the Canterbury Earthquake Insurance Tribunal giving access to court decisions for those with unsolved claims. We're also introducing a suite of changes to address the findings of Dame Silvia Cartwright's public inquiry into the Earthquake Commission including modernising the EQC Act putting in place a more people-centred claims system and clarifying EQC's role in any future natural disaster."