Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Insurance premiums certain to rise

Updated at 11:01 am on 9 September 2010

The Insurance Council says premiums will rise as a result of the huge cost of the Christchurch earthquake.

The Treasury estimates the damage at $4 billion, and it is thought about half of that will be paid by private insurers.

The chief executive of the Insurance Council, Chris Ryan, says it is impossible to tell by how much people's insurance costs will increase.

He says a relatively small number of people are having problems getting insurance since the quake and they are being looked at on a case-by-case basis.

House buyers may need to extend their settlement dates, he says, or have an engineering report done.

Listen to more on Morning Report

Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand