Southern Response Independent Oversight Committee

About the Independent Oversight Committee

On 14 December 2020, the Government announced it had approved a proactive compensation package (the Package) to be offered to eligible policyholders who cash settled with Southern Response Earthquake Services Limited prior to October 2014. The Package is intended to address the inequity of those who cash settled their claims prior to October 2014 compared to those who settled later.

The Package offers further payments to eligible policyholders that may include allowances for professional fees, contingency, interest, and a contribution to legal fees. The Package’s implementation is being overseen by an Independent Oversight Committee (the IOC).

The purpose of the IOC is to provide independent oversight, make recommendations and give advice to the board of directors of Southern Response, and report significant issues to the Crown.  In particular, the IOC:

• provides independent oversight of Southern Response’s decision-making in respect of the implementation and delivery of the Package;
• seeks independent advice or peer review on key issues;
• conducts an independent periodic review of Southern Response’s processes and decision-making in respect of the implementation and delivery of the Package; and
• provides advice and recommendations to the Southern Response Board and the Crown on matters relating to the interests of Southern Response policyholders relevant to the implementation and delivery of the Package.

Although the IOC does not communicate with individual policyholders directly, we may, after consultation with the Board of Southern Response and the Crown, publicly issue a statement or report or provide public information to policyholders to whom the Package is or will be available. Such statements, reports or public information will be available on this website.

The IOC was formed, and our members appointed, in December 2020. We meet at least once every month in Christchurch (and/or remotely as necessary).

David Ayers is chair of the IOC and comes with 30 years’ experience in local government with nine of those as Mayor of Waimakariri District Council from 2010 to 2019. As well as his work for local government, David was a member of the secondary teaching profession for 37 years, including 17 years as an Assistant or Deputy Principal in Christchurch and Rangiora. He is chair of the Canterbury Museum Trust Board and works at a governance level in the Methodist Church of New Zealand.

Sandra Manderson served over 35 years as a police officer and commander, becoming the first woman in the New Zealand Police to achieve the rank of Superintendent. She has held many significant positions in the Police both in New Zealand and overseas, including six years as District Commander Canterbury Region. Later she returned to Christchurch to assist in earthquake recovery efforts and to lead police operations for several major events. Currently Sandra is a member of the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit.

Felicity Caird is a governance professional with nearly 20 years’ experience working with boards across all sectors (public, for-profit and not-for-profit). She has held leadership roles at the Institute of Directors (IoD) and prior to that in the public sector. Her current governance roles include chairing the Racing Safety Development Fund Industry Working Group, and as an independent member on the boards of Racing New Zealand, Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ Inc, the Low Volume Vehicle Technical Association Inc and as an external member on the Porirua City Council Audit and Risk Committee.

Nina Khouri’s term ended in March 2024 and she continues to participate in an advisory capacity. Nina is a lawyer and mediator specialising in the resolution of disputes. She has extensive experience resolving earthquake-related disputes between insurers and homeowners. She is also an Academic Fellow at the University of Auckland Faculty of Law where she teaches and researches in civil justice and dispute resolution.

Key IOC documents

Proactive release of IOC Minutes and Reports

The IOC regularly receives confidential, legally privileged and/or sensitive information from the Crown and Southern Response that is necessary for the IOC to perform its role.  Information of this type is often shared with the IOC on a “limited waiver” basis - which simply means the IOC can use this information to do the IOC’s work but cannot release the information into the public domain.  As a result, it is sometimes necessary for information contained in documents proactively released on this website to be redacted when any of the withholding grounds under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) would apply. 

The IOC endeavours to redact as little information as possible.  If redactions have been made, the relevant withholding provisions of the OIA have also been specified.  Generally, redactions will be made for one of the following three reasons:  to protect the privacy of individuals; to preserve legal privilege; or to protect information received in confidence that there is public interest in the IOC continuing to receive.

References to documents or oral reports the IOC has received from the Crown and/or Southern Response that contain confidential, legally privileged and/or sensitive information have not been redacted wherever possible. However, please note that by referring to reports or documents of this type, the IOC is not waiving legal privilege or any other protection that the Crown and/or Southern Response may have placed over the content of those documents or reports.

Minutes and Reports released by IOC to date

Links to the documents the IOC has proactively released to date are provided below.

The IOC will continue to proactively release Minutes and Reports as they are completed and prepared for proactive release.

Minutes between February 2021 and July 2021 were previously published by the Treasury as an OIA response.

Contacting the IOC

If you would like to provide any information or feedback to the Independent Oversight Committee, please feel free to email us at [email protected]. Please note that under our Terms of Reference we are not able to communicate directly with individual policyholders, but your comments will be addressed at our Committee meetings.

The Southern Response Package application page can be found here.