www.guardianONLINE.co.nz
THE VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY 24/7
KINGS OF CAITLIN STARS AT THE HORSE SHOW THE COURT P5 P12 www.guardianONLINE.co.nz
Guardian
Ashburton
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
FIRST PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 27, 1879
Radical revamp to insurance policies By Sam Morton Homeowners need to fully understand new insurance policies being rolled out next month – or risk under-insuring their properties, according to an Ashburton insurance consultant. The residential house policies are currently being rewritten in a change that will spell the end of replacement cover in New Zealand and bring the country into step with the rest of the world. Under the new policies, set to take effect next month, houses will be insured by a dollar value using a sum insured formula, meaning the total cost of replacing the house needs to be carefully and precisely calculated by the homeowner. “Homeowners will now need to work out exactly what the worth of their house is to completely rebuild and replace from the ground up,” Rothbury Insurance branch manager Kelvin Holmes said. “Demolition costs, building consents, backyard fences, the lot – it’s a dollar value right down to the last nail, so it’s important to ensure you have valued your property accurately.” The industry change has been driven by reinsurers, following their monumental losses incurred as a result of the Christchurch earthquakes. “Even today reinsurers are trying to quantify their loss, they don’t really know where they’re at,” Mr Holmes said. “But with the dollar value method, they would have been able to tell quite quickly, so all this change is being driven by them and whichever way you view it, it’s a change we need to accept,” Mr Holmes said. However, the policy isn’t completely new. About 20 years ago, the same model was already in place for house insurance – in conjunction with other insurance policies such as vehicle, contents and commercial cover which all use the dollar formula. “We’re not going anywhere we haven’t been before. For some people it will be new, but for others it will be a sense of deja vu,” Mr Holmes said. “I think, unless homeowners fully get to grips with the change in wording, there will be quite a few properties being under-insured, but only time will tell. Vision Insurance director David Rush believes the majority of clients in Mid Canterbury will understand the basics of the change, but feels the older generation would
90c Casual $1.20
Members reluctantly call time on WI choir
POLL QUESTION
?
Do you understand the new changes to the house insurance policies?
Visit The voice of Mid Canterbury 24/7
www.
ONLINE.co.nz
to have your say.
struggle to adapt to the change. “I think for a lot of people who are online savvy, the changes won’t have too much of an impact, but for the likes of my mother-inlaw, who is in her 80s, I daresay she will have difficulty trying to value her house accurately,” Mr Rush said. “In cases like this, I would encourage them (elderly) to seek advice from their children or other family members or to go and see a broker who will be able to explain the concept further.” Though, it appears the new changes will place the onus solely on the homeowner as the industry looks to gain sustainability going forward. “We will be able to explain the basics behind the policy change and the wording, but we can’t value people’s homes or property for them ... that will be left up to them to provide the total dollar sum,” Mr Rush said. “The new change will be more time consuming for people as more questions will be asked, but I think the end result will provide a far more accurate cover.” Insurance Council chief executive Tim Grafton simplified the change down to an extension of contents insurance. “If you are a homeowner you’ll tell your insurance company the sum that you want to insure your house for and that will be the sum that will apply if your house burnt down or flooded,” Mr Grafton said. “I think of it more like contents insurance - so you might insure the contents of your home for $80,000. This time you are going to be adding to that and saying ‘well I’m going to insure the house for $450,000 or $500,000 or $1 million’.” Meanwhile, Mr Holmes didn’t believe premiums would change too much throughout the district, but said it was too early to predict until the new policies were officially rolled out. “That’s something we will learn quite shortly,” he said. The new policies will take effect next month.
4.50
ONLINE.co.nz
To see more or purchase photos
Members of the Mid Canterbury Women’s Institute Federation choir, conducted by Sylvia Smith, perform for the last time. By Michelle Nelson The poignant strains of Pokarekare Ana signalled the end of an era when a local choir delivered their swansong yesterday. For 51 years members of the Mid Canterbury Women’s Institute Federation choir have celebrated their love of music
By Sam Morton If you feel sleepy behind the wheel ... pull over and take a break. That’s the message Terri van Schooten is sending to motorists this Easter, as another long weekend fast approaches. Ms van Schooten, who is State’s driver reviver spokeswoman, said five optional stops will be set up throughout New Zealand to encourage drivers to take a break this Easter. The Mid Canterbury site at Ealing has proved to be popular since its inception in 2010. All drivers and passengers will be offered free food and drink in a bid to keep motorists awake and alert, in a nationwide initiative to keep the road toll down. “We have been doing this since 2003 and have been in Ealing since 2010. Every year the numbers grow and as the
Interest paid monthly. Rate subject to change.
(THAT’S WHAT WE DO) For a copy of Heartland Bank Limited’s Disclosure Statement call us on 0800 227 227 or visit our Ashburton branch. www.heartland.co.nz
with song, and so entertained thousands of people across the decades. Sylvia Smith joined the choir as a 24-year-old and is the only active founding member remaining. The original choir was conducted by Marjory Lill, then Mrs Smith took up the baton and has held the position for the past 31
years. Yesterday she conducted the choir’s last official performance in front of a MCWIF gathering at the Seniors Centre. An ageing membership has called time on the choir, and with less young women joining the institute, numbers are declining. “We have all had a wonderful time belonging to the choir and the friendships we have made
will last a lifetime,” she said. “I would like to think that over half a century we’ve given a lot of pleasure to a lot of people.” Music purchased by the choir over the years will be collected, filed and returned to the safe keeping of the MCWIF. Other memorabilia – including photographs and records of performances will also be carefully
Photo Kirsty Clay 250313-kc-014
stored. However, the remaining members intend to get together to sing from time to time, just for the joy of it, Mrs Smith said. And they plan to continue to entertain residents in aged care facilities. Each member of the choir was presented with a certificate of appreciation, and a cyclamen plant to record the occasion.
Fatigue: It can be deadly if you’re driving
Imagine your % P.A. business earning on call with no fees and no small print. BUFFALO/HB4361
Home delivered from
message gets out, we have more and more drivers frequenting our site, which is just great,” Ms van Schooten said. “We always call Ealing our most attractive site of the five ... it’s in such a lovely spot and it’s a great place to stop and have a break.” However, despite the ongoing work being done by State volunteers at Lewis Pass, Manawatu, Waikato and Northland, national figures show there is still a lot of work to be done to counter the problem. Last year, Ministry of Transport statistics revealed fatigue was identified as a key contributing crash factor, claiming 46 lives and seriously injuring 138 others. The total social cost of crashes involving fatigue in 2012 was estimated to be a staggering $280 million – costing the country in a big way. State is desperately trying to bring those figures down and Ms van Schooten believes the
With roots going back over 130 years, we’ve learned to keep things in business straightforward and easy to understand. That’s why the Heartland Business Call Account is simple – just the way a call account designed for businesses and business executives should be. With a maximum investment of $5 million you’ll pay no fees, get unlimited withdrawals to your nominated account and receive a great return. There’s no need to read the small print, as there is none. If you like that kind of fresh thinking, talk to us. We’re Heartland: New Zealand’s newest bank.
message is slowly starting to filter through. “I think people are becoming more and more aware of the serious consequences fatigue can have and people are beginning to realise you can’t just push through tiredness,” she said. “If we can help by offering these driver reviver stops at certain locations and help keep the road toll down, then we will continue to do so. “Statistics are repeatedly showing us that fatigue can be as serious as alcohol related crashes ... so we need to keep pushing our drivers to take a break if they feel any signs of fatigue creeping in,” Ms van Schooten said. On Easter Monday, State staff will be at the Ealing site on State Highway One offering barista coffee, sizzling sausages and handing out fruit and water. The site will be manned from 10am to 6pm. See editorial, P4
DRIVER REVIVER TIPS To help you avoid driver fatigue: • Get a good night’s sleep before driving, preferably eight hours • Plan your journey to include rest breaks • Share the driving when possible • Take someone to help you stay alert and watch you for signs of fatigue • Don’t drive during the hours when you would normally be sleeping or napping • Make sure you’re fully awake before driving following a period of sleep • Snack on light, fresh foods • Get plenty of fresh air
• If possible, avoid driving for several days following long-distance air travel. Signs of driver fatigue include: • Having trouble focusing, keeping your eyes open or holding your head up • Daydreaming, having wandering or disconnected thoughts, or loss of memory • Yawning or rubbing your eyes repeatedly • Drifting from your lane, tailgating and missing signs or exits • Feeling restless and irritable. (Source: www.state.co.nz)
Today’s weather
HIGH LOW
19
8