Glossary

Act is used for short to refer to the Natural Hazards Insurance Act 2023 legislation.

The person with a dispute who applies for mediation or adjudication. Usually this is the insured homeowner.

Code is used for short to refer to the Code of Insured Persons’ Rights that outlines your rights when you have a natural hazard claim and the obligations of NHC Toka Tū Ake (or an insurer working on their behalf) in managing your claim.

The Natural Hazards Insurance Act 2023 defines natural hazards as earthquakes, hydrothermal activity, landslides, tsunami, volcanic activity, floods, storms, and natural hazard fires.

The normal action of the wind or water causing gradual erosion (for example, coastal erosion, bank erosion, and sheet erosion) is not a natural hazard.

The Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake provides natural hazards insurance cover for homes and some residential land within the financial limits set out by the Natural Hazards Insurance Act 2023 – this is known as Natural Hazards (NH) Cover. Generally, everyone with valid private insurance for their home or holiday home that includes fire insurance pays the Natural Hazards Insurance levy and has access to the NHCover insurance.

The people involved in a dispute are referred to as ‘the parties’ - this usually includes the applicant and a representative from NHC Toka Tū Ake but there can be others.

The NHCover Dispute Resolution service is guided by and delivered under the Dispute Resolution Scheme Rules or ‘Rules’ for short.

Technical advice may be used to establish whether property damage was caused by a natural hazard, and what that damage is. Technical advice may be given by experts, including: assessors, estimators, surveyors, valuers, engineers, builders and drainage specialists.