Eketahuna shake included in Earthquake Commission inquiry

Judge and former Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright at her home in Epsom, Auckland. 27 May 2015 New Zealand Herald Photograph by Dean Purcell. NZH 18Dec18 - Key players (from left) ex-lawyer

An independent public inquiry into the Earthquake Commission wants to hear about the experiences of those who dealt with the commission after the 2014 Eketahuna earthquake or other events, and what changes are needed.

Inquiry chair Dame Silvia Cartwright and her team will be in Eketahuna on Wednesday, July 3. The public can visit the Eketahuna Community Centre on Haswell St between 4pm and 5.30pm and talk to the inquiry panel, or see what others have been saying and add your thoughts in writing.

The public inquiry into the Earthquake Commission was announced on November 13 by the Minister for EQC, Dr Megan Woods.

It will report to Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy.

The public inquiry has a particular focus on EQC's response to the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, but will address experiences with EQC right across New Zealand. That includes reviewing how EQC responded to other events such as the Kaikoura earthquake in 2016, and what can be learned from those comparisons.

The final report and recommendations "to improve EQC's readiness to respond to future events" are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Find out more about the public inquiry on its website, http://eqcinquiry.govt.nz/.