AMY ADAMS MP for Selwyn - Newsletter

Amy in Action - March 2013

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:02:55 +1300

As we approach the end of our long, hot summer and start to feel autumn’s chill creeping into the mornings, it is a busy time with lots on the agenda. In this newsletter I summarise what the Education Minister’s February announcement on Christchurch schools means for our electorate and update you on recent Government initiatives to combat welfare fraud and establish a new stand-alone agency to focus on workplace safety. I am also looking for a Youth MP to represent the Selwyn electorate, so if you know anyone aged between 16 and 18 who would be interested in representing their community at Youth Parliament 2013, please read on for more details.

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Amy in Action - February 2013

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:57:00 +1300

Happy New Year to you all!

Now that schools are starting back for the year, the summer holidays will soon be a distant memory. I hope that you have all had an enjoyable break and a chance to relax with family and friends.

I am looking forward to another busy year with lots on the agenda for me including the Fresh Water reforms aimed at ensuring we make the most of our most valuable natural resource, and changes to the Resource Management Act to improve its effectiveness and efficiency. In addition, I’ll be continuing to focus on the continual roll-out of enhanced broadband around New Zealand.

As the Minister for Communications I have recently put out a discussion document from New Zealand Post where they seek to make changes to our mail service including reducing deliveries to three days per week in response to massive drops in mail volumes. I want to know what the residents of Selwyn think about these changes. To find out more and make a submission, visit http://med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/technology-communication/postal-policy/consultation-on-proposed-changes-to-new-zealand-posts-deed-of-understanding. Submissions close at 5pm March 12, 2013.

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Amy in Action - November 2012

nospam@example.com (admin) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 12:03:00 +1300

Hello to you all!

It is hard to believe that it is less than 2 months until Christmas, and the year is nearly over.

I had the pleasure of attending the Ellesmere A&P Show a couple of weeks ago, the first of five A&P Shows in my Electorate. It’s always a great day out and I really enjoy the chance to chat with many of you over the day. I am constantly amazed at how smoothly these events run, and give credit to the hard work of the many organisers involved. Unfortunately for the organisers at Ellesmere the weather was atrocious to say the least however those that attended boxed on regardless.

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Amy In Action - September 2012

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:22:20 +1200

Hello to you all!

As Winter draws to a close, I am so pleased to be able to bring you my latest newsletter. It has been a busy two months and I have enjoyed meeting with some of you whilst out and about in Selwyn.

It is hard to believe that it has been two years since the first devastating earthquake in September 2010. In this newsletter I want to touch on the Government’s commitment to rebuilding Canterbury, let you know about meetings that you may want to attend if you are living on TC3 land, and remind you about some of the services available to you in you are still battling through the process of repairing or rebuilding your home.

I welcome your thoughts and feedback on all matters so be sure to contact me at selwyn.office@parliament.govt.nz or “like” my Facebook page and tell me what's on your mind.

Kind regards

Amy Adams MP for Selwyn

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Amy In Action - May 2012

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:04:16 +1200

It has been a busy few months with visits around Selwyn, Banks Peninsula and Christchurch City, but I have enjoyed catching up with old and new friends and constituents. I am thrilled to be the new Minister for the Environment, despite being sad to leave some good stuff behind in Internal Affairs As Minister for Communication and IT I have made some exciting announcements in the last few weeks also with broadband being extended in our rural communities.

Weedons School gets a new classroom block

It was a privilege to open a new classroom block at Weedons School, made possible by funding provided by the Ministry of Education. The school is thrilled to have the extra space and it is putting it to great use with a new classroom, a music room and teacher aide facilities. Thanks to the Weedons children for the warm welcome and the beautiful singing.

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Amy in Action: March 2012

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:39:10 +1300

I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year, and managed to find time to rest, relax and recharge despite the rude reminder on 23 December that these earthquakes aren’t quite done with us yet.

Since being sworn in as Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister for Communications and IT, as well as Associate Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery, I have been flat out getting familiar with my new roles. It’s hard to believe autumn is here already, but I am enjoying getting stuck in and continuing to build the brighter future our community and all New Zealanders deserve.

Earthquake Recovery

The anniversary of the devastating February earthquake was a good chance to take the time to remember those we have lost, those who are still recovering from the serious physical injuries caused on that day and the damage done to so many homes, facilities and services in our region. It also gave us the opportunity though to focus on the incredible strength of our region and take a positive outlook on the years ahead.

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Amy in Action: September 2011

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:37:27 +1300

Update on EQC

It is great to hear that the Earthquake Commission (EQC)/ Fletcher Construction EQR process, for homes with damage under $100,000, has now completed the repairs to more than 1500 homes in the Selwyn electorate, with another 3500 currently in progress.

The EQC has been working hard to get through the more than 400,000 claims it has received since 4 September last year, both completing assessments and repairing those with damage estimated to be between $10,000 and $100,000. It’s encouraging to see the results of this in this electorate.

We have been fortunate that in Selwyn we have avoided the worst of the land damage, meaning that for most of us we are now able to get on with repairs. To date, the EQR process has paid $45.4 million for repairs to Selwyn homes, including $11 million in August alone. These payments are helping people in our electorate to get on with rebuilding their lives.

EQC has announced it has set a target of completing all of its full assessments by December 2011, and is working towards the same deadline to complete all contents claims.

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Amy in Action: July 2011

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:05:21 +1200

EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY PROGRESS

EQC recently advised me and the Selwyn District Council they believed they had assessed all claims in Selwyn for the September quake.

It has been very helpful to get feedback from a number of people to say that was not the case for them.

It has enabled us to go back to EQC on behalf of those people and follow up on their claims from the September event.

I’m continuing to work with EQC on these outstanding claims as well as other earthquake related issues.

Any September earthquake claimants who have not yet had any assessment should contact my Templeton electorate office on 344 0418 or by email at selwynoffice@parliament.govt.nz.

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Amy in Action: May 2011

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 26 May 2011 10:45:37 +1200

EARTHQUAKE NEWS

Rebuilding Canterbury is a main priority for the Government this year, and it will be a long, complex and costly task. I am delighted that Roger Sutton has been appointed as the permanent chief executive of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA), starting in mid-June. Mr Sutton has an engineering background and a long and successful career in the private sector. All Cantabrians, and particularly the residents of Christchurch city, can be confident that CERA has found a very effective chief executive.
More info: www.cera.govt.nz

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Amy in Action - Earthquake Update

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:49:40 +1300

Rapid Assessments

The EQC rapid assessment teams are well underway in Halswell and Governors Bay and have been completed in Westmorland. The team will visit the remaining affected parts of Selwyn within the next 6 weeks. You do not need to do anything and do not need to be home when a rapid assessment team visits. They will leave you a notice of assessment once they have been. Full assessments will be prioritised by the level of need identified in the rapid assessment for those who have lodged an EQC claim and are insured.

Houses with severe structural damage will be revisited for a full assessment within 4 months, houses with minor structural damage will be revisited for a full assessment within 4-6 months, and houses with no structural damage will be revisited for a full assessment within 6-9 months.

THOSE IN SELWYN WHO HAVE NOT YET BEEN ASSESSED FOLLOWING THE SEPTEMBER EARTHQUAKE WILL BE PART OF THE RAPID ASSESSMENT PROCESS AND THEIR FULL ASSESSMENT WILL BE PRIORITISED AS ABOVE.

The rapid assessment is a very brief triage of the damage to your home and will not identify everything. If you believe your home is significantly more damaged than the rapid assessment identified then you can request a further quick assessment with you at home by contacting EQC on 0800 326 243.

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Amy in Action - Earthquake recovery update

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:18:00 +1300

New EQC assessment process for quake-damaged homes

The Earthquake Commission's new assessment process will give Christchurch homeowners more certainty about the status of their homes. EQC announced today it will begin a new rapid assessment process of all Christchurch houses over the next eight weeks to prioritise needs and urgent repairs.

The rapid assessment process will rank homes into categories of damage and give homeowners a timeframe for when they will receive their full EQC assessment.
Homeowners do not need to be home when the rapid assessment takes place - a form will be left on their property to let them know which category they fall into.

You do not need to have lodged an EQC claim yet either, as the rapid assessment teams will look at all houses. However, only those properties that are insured and have lodged an EQC claim will receive a full assessment. Properties requiring emergency repairs to be weather-tight, secure or sanitary will be the first priority. The rapid assessment will also include affected parts of Selwyn. EQC will start in the most affected suburbs and progressively move out from there.

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Amy in Action - Earthquake Update

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:09:43 +1300

EMERGENCY INFORMATION POST 22 FEB EARTHQUAKE

As at 28 February 2011

Christchurch has once again been struck by a major earthquake and Christchurch city in particular, has suffered more than ever before. I hope that you and your family are safe and well at this difficult time. Please take care of each other, and if possible, check on your neighbours and any elderly people near you.

We are all feeling shell shocked by what has happened, and so powerless when we think of those who have been hurt, who are trapped, who have lost their homes, or worse still, those who are missing.

At this time it may seem hard to believe we can come back from this. I have no doubt that we will. These may be the darkest days we face as a city but I believe the strong spirit of Cantabrian’s will help us get through the long, hard road ahead.

In the meantime I would urge you to look after yourselves, your families, and those around you, and please don't to go into the central city or the worst affected areas.

• For urgent help call 111
• If you are searching for a missing person, please call 0800 RED CROSS
• For all other urgent assistance call the Government helpline 0800 779 997
• Updated information can be found at www.canterburyearthquake.org.nz and www.civildefence.govt.nz

If your home has been damaged, you need to lodge a claim with EQC: 0800 DAMAGE (0800 326 243).

We are aware that some people are impersonating EQC staff. All EQC staff will carry photo ID. If you are approached by someone impersonating EQC please phone the Police.

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Amy in Action - February 2011

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:06:22 +1300

EARTHQUAKE UPDATE

Accommodation support for quake-affected

The government has announced a package of initiatives to assist Cantabrians who have been displaced from their homes due to severe earthquake damage.

Financial assistance will be available for homeowners who have had to leave their homes, or will need to leave their homes for a period longer than their insurance covers, while the repair or rebuilding of both land and houses takes place.

The temporary accommodation financial assistance will be $180 per week for a one-person household, $275 per week for a two-person household, and $330 per week for households of three or more people to cover rental costs for those who are displaced from their homes due to earthquake damage.

The financial assistance will be universal, and won’t be subject to income or asset testing. In order to access the financial assistance, homeowners must have exhausted their temporary accommodation allowance under their insurance policies.

From Monday 21 February, there will be four Canterbury Earthquake Temporary Accommodation Service offices at:

• Work and Income, 231 High Street, Christchurch
• Linwood Community Link, 154 Aldwins Road, Linwood, Christchurch
• Papanui Work and Income, 7 Winston Avenue, Papanui, Christchurch
• Waimakariri Earthquake Hub, 24 Sewell Street, Kaiapoi

Staff will also be available in the Selwyn District as required, so residents in that area should contact 0800 673 227 to make an appointment.

For more information about the assistance package, including application forms, phone the Canterbury Earthquake Temporary Accommodation Service on 0800 673 227 or visit www.quakeaccommodation.govt.nz

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Amy in Action - December 2010

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:39:35 +1300

Canterbury Earthquake update

Land damage report:

The Earthquake Commission (EQC) has released the Tonkin & Taylor Stage 2 report into land damage caused by the Canterbury earthquake. The report gives thousands of Canterbury property owners a clearer picture of the residential land repair work needed after the earthquake. For the majority of property owners, the recovery process is relatively straightforward and the repair process can start now, as long as their EQC assessment is complete.

EQC assessed and mapped 22,500 properties into three recovery zones – A, B and C.

Zone A identifies areas where there was shaking damage to buildings, but no observed signs of any land damage.

Zone B identifies areas of land damage, with the majority of properties suffering minor to moderate land damage, as well as isolated cases of major land damage. Repairing this land will be relatively simple and will involve filling the cracks and compacting the ground surface.

Zone C is the land which has suffered severe land damage, or is close to the areas of major land repair work.

The Stage 1 and Stage 2 reports can be viewed at www.eqc.govt.nz

* If your land is shown as unmapped and you believe you have more than minor land damage please get in touch with my office with your claim details so we can look into it for you.

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Amy in Action: October 2010

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:27:40 +1300

Canterbury Earthquake Update

Six weeks on from the earthquake on 4 September, we are well ahead of international norms in our recovery effort but patience will still be required as the various agencies do their best to deal with the vast number of issues confronting them.

There have been a number of announcements made in the past few weeks with further measures of Government support for Cantabrians, as they move into the rebuilding phase so another update seems timely.

The Earthquake Commission has set up a recovery plan to ensure people whose homes have been damaged are being paid out as quickly as possible.

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