It will be business as usual from Monday 11 January 2021 (8.30am).

For any urgent insurance needs during this time please contact one of the following brokers:

• Geoff Lott – 027 447 8358
• Julie Bullock – 027 221 0133
• Sharon Elliott – 027 344 1010
• Mark Koubaridis – 027 772 1761

We would like to thank you for your continued support over the past year. From all of the Team at Wanganui Insurance Brokers – WE WISH YOU ALL A VERY SAFE AND HAPPY CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR!

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Our efforts as a nation to contain Covid-19 will affect New Zealanders in different ways.

We want to reassure you that we are here to help you manage your risks so you can concentrate on looking after yourself, your loved ones and your business.

This is an unprecedented situation and we recommend you keep informed with information from reliable sources, like the government site: https://covid19.govt.nz/, which has everything you need to know about COVID-19, all in one place. 

Please be assured, we have a robust business continuity plan in place, and we are working to ensure we can provide continuous service to you, our clients.

Engaging with us

We have full capability to work remotely and as such to continue to deliver services to you.

With us currently at an alert level 4, our team are working as follows:

If you have a claim-related query please contact Nick Harding on 027 221 1407. For any other urgent queries please contact your broker as follows:

Geoff Lott                           027 447 8358

Julie Bullock                        027 221 0133

Sharon Elliott                     027 344 1010

Mark Koubaridis               027 772 1761

When the alert level drops again and we return to the office, we will send an updated communication.

How insurance responds

We are being asked by clients if they are covered for losses linked to the virus. General insurance is unlikely to provide protection against losses linked to the Global Pandemic Covid-19. Our partners, LMI Group have put together informative papers you can reference. For more about Travel Insurance click here, for more about Business Interruption Insurance click here.

Please contact your broker for more on any other covers you have in place and are seeking clarity on.

Keeping you and your business protected

Whilst many businesses have either transitioned to work from home, or are closing up for a period of time, it’s still critical to ensure you are fully insured. As advisors we recommend that you keep your existing insurance in place, ensuring that you’re protected from losses now and in the future. Unfortunately, we are all still at risk of ‘normal’ events, like theft, storm or fire. Even if your income is lower during this period, there is still cover for many other aspects of your business. Please engage with us if you’d like to discuss your covers and situation.

How we can help you

Our team are here for you to discuss any questions you may have, including your current situation in light of the potential financial impact of Covid-19.  We are working on solutions to offer further support and we will keep you informed of these over the coming days and week through www.wanganuiinsurance.co.nz.  

Our primary focus is to ensure all our clients remain insured and therefore protected. We will continue to ensure all policies are renewed prior to the renewal date. We will also be looking at options to support the individual needs of clients as their business environment and requirements change.

Risk Mitigation is really important and we encourage you to look at Business Continuity Plans for your business, as well as other steps you can take help limit the impact.

Practical business advice

Frank Accounting have put together some helpful tips for preserving cash in your business, as well as some guidance on the government’s business support package, which you can access here.

To ease your cashflow, we do have monthly premium payment facilities available. Please feel free to contact us to use this solution.

Working from home or remotely

Following the government’s announcement we will all be transitioning to Work from Home, or planning for this, here are some resources and considerations:

Laptop security: a short guide to laptop security can be accessed here. Please let us know if you’d like your broker to send through a summary of your covers for your portable equipment.

IT, Phishing emails and general security: sadly, times of crisis are seen as opportunities by criminals. Please be careful and exercise caution around any unsolicited contact made with you and your employees regarding Covid-19. When in doubt, check with the source, any legitimate organisation who is trying to contact you will understand your caution or need for verification. For more about work from home we encourage you to visit the Phew, Cyber Security Experts – website here, who have up to date information regarding free and almost free Work From Home tools available as well as considerations for working safely away from the office.

Sharing resources

We are a resilient country, with adaptable people and resources. By working together we believe that we will come out the other side of this situation stronger, which is why we’re looking to leverage our wider network to aid this process. Wanganui Insurance Brokers is a proud member of NZbrokers, New Zealand’s largest broking collective. Across NZbrokers we help over 140,000 clients who do amazing things every day.

If you have a resource, service or product that could help people now and in the future, in your local community or nationwide (similar to the papers and links we’ve shared in this communication, or anything else), we’d love to share these across our network, just like we have done today. Email rachel@wanganuiinsurance.co.nz with your information or for more details.

As always, our team are here to help you, if you have any other questions, please contact us.

Stay safe, Kia Kaha

Wanganui Insurance Brokers

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With the recent announcement from Jacinda our office is now closed to the public.

All of our wonderful staff are endeavoring to work from home, and your policies will continue to be renewed. We may not be able to send renewal information to you in the post, but will get it to you in due course.

If you have a claim-related issue please contact Nick Harding on 027 221 1407. For any other urgent queries contact your broker as follows:

• Geoff Lott – 027 447 8358
• Julie Bullock – 027 221 0133
• Sharon Elliott – 027 344 1010
• Mark Koubaridis – 027 772 1761

We will continue to provide updates via our website and our facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/wanganuiinsurancebrokers, as new information is made available to us.

Please take care of yourself and those close to you at this unsettling time.

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As we navigate through these unprecedented times, we want to ensure that you are up to date with our actions surrounding COVID-19 and to pass along our positive thoughts to you and your families during these uncertain times.

The safety and wellbeing of you (our customers) and our staff members is our utmost priority.

We are following the Ministry of Health’s guidelines around hand-washing and cleaning and have reinforced this with our staff members.  We also have hand sanitizers at our reception area.

We are still accessing protocols with our clients in regards to face to face visits/meetings on a daily basis and we will update our social media/website if things change. Please if you do feel unwell do not come into the office, give us a call instead.

Travel Insurance Policies

With regards to Travel Insurance the situation is still evolving in particular the new Government rules around Travel.

Please find below website links for COVID-19 update from both our Travel Insurers – Chubb Insurance and Allianz Insurance.

https://www.chubbtravelinsurance.co.nz/aceStatic/Doc/Notification/NZ_WuhanVirus_EN.pdf

http://www.allianzpartners.co.nz/press-and-media/press-releases/covid-19-pandemic/

We understand that a lot of people, businesses and events are being affected by this virus, if we are able to help in anyway regarding your insurances please feel free to call us. Stay safe and take care.

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Brief summary of the changes below:

Tenant liability for damage

If tenants damage a rental property as a result of careless behaviour, they will be liable for the cost of the damage up to a maximum of four weeks’ rent or the landlord’s insurance excess, whichever is lower. Tenants on income-related rents will be liable for up to four weeks’ market rent or the landlord’s insurance excess, whichever is lower.

Insurance companies will not be able to pursue tenants on the landlord’s behalf for the cost of damage unless the damage was intentional or the result of an act or omission that constitutes an imprisonable offence.

Unlawful residential premises

Currently, tenants who live in premises such as converted garages, sleep-outs, warehouses or industrial buildings are not always protected by the Residential Tenancies Act.

The new Act amends the definition of “residential premises” so that regardless of whether premises can be legally lived in, they will be considered residential premises under the Residential Tenancies Act if they are lived in or intended to be lived in.

This gives the Tenancy Tribunal full jurisdiction over cases concerning premises that are unlawful for residential purposes, and means Tenancy Services will be able to take enforcement action against landlords who breach the Residential Tenancies Act.

Under the Residential Tenancies Act, landlords must comply with all legal requirements relating to buildings and health and safety that apply to the premises. They must also ensure that the premises can legally be lived in at the start of a tenancy.

Contamination of premises

New regulations will be developed to prescribe the acceptable level for methamphetamine contamination, processes for testing (including when to test) and decontamination of rental properties. The regulations will be developed over the next year.

Landlords will be able to test for methamphetamine in rental premises while tenants are living there. They must provide 48 hours’ notice to tenants before entering the property, or for boarding house tenants they must provide 24 hours’ notice before entering the boarding house room.

Landlords will have to tell the tenant what contaminant they are testing for, and share the test results (in writing) with the tenant within seven days of receiving them.

Once relevant regulations are in place, landlords will not be able to knowingly rent premises that are contaminated above the prescribed level (as set out in the regulations), without decontaminating in accordance with the regulations. They will be liable for a financial penalty of up to $4,000 if they do so.

Insurance Statement

Landlords now need to provide a statement in any new tenancy agreement about whether the property is insured and if so, what the excess amount is for any relevant insurance policies. The statement must also inform the tenant that copies of these policies are available on request.

If landlords don’t provide this information, or if they don’t tell tenants, in writing, within a reasonable time if this information changes, they may be liable for a financial penalty of up to $500.

Tenants on existing tenancies will be able to ask their landlords for this insurance information, and this must also be provided within a reasonable time.

If you need a copy of your insurance information to provide to your tenant please contact your broker.

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