KEY POINTS:
Gisborne's earthquake damage bill has topped $45 million and is still rising.
The magnitude 6.8 quake, which struck on December 20, hit the central business district hardest, causing shops to partially collapse and roofs to cave in.
Elsewhere, water tanks and winery vats burst and holes opened up in roads.
Commercial damage to date is estimated at $21m, with $24.2m in damage so far identified in the residential sector.
The commercial figure does not include claims processed by QBE insurance, who are not affiliated to the Insurance Council.
So far, nearly 400 claims have been settled, with about $750,000 paid out to claimants over the past week and another $1, in the pipeline for distribution over the next week.
A team of 50 assessors from throughout Australasia has this week been boosted by another 20 to handle the backlog of claims.
It could be another two months before assessors finished seeing all claimants but this was perfectly normal, Earthquake Commission chief executive David Middleton told the Gisborne Herald.
The number of claims was expected to top 5000 by the March 20 deadline.
Commercial claims are expected to take much longer to settle.
All the buildings had been inspected and were now the subject of more detailed engineering reports.
These reports would be followed by further costings, after which there would be scopes of works, some of which would require consents.
Once this was all processed, the repair work could begin.
"It all takes time," he said.
- NZPA
