Bremworth launches $6M expansion of cyclone-damaged Napier plant
Listed carpet manufacturer, Bremworth is undertaking a $6 million expansion at its Napier plant more than two years after the site was heavily damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.
The Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (IFSO Scheme) received a record number of enquiries in the past year - close to 5,000, a 21% increase on the previous year.
Karen Stevens, the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman, says that most people contacted the IFSO Scheme about customer service issues and delays.
The IFSO Scheme has also investigated the highest number of complaints in its 30-year history, with a total of 479 complaints received for investigation in the year from 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024.
Stevens says the 46% increase in complaints from the previous year was mostly due to the extreme weather events of 2023, which caused a sizeable uptick in insurance claims.
“About 8% of the complaints we received were about insurance claims from the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle,” says Stevens.
She says the IFSO Scheme also received more complaints relating to business-as-usual insurance claims, which were impacted by the delays caused by approximately 118,000 weather event claims.
“The extensive nature of the weather events obviously impacted the insurers’ abilities to respond quickly and effectively to claims, and consumers have understandably been frustrated by the long time it’s taken to get their claims resolved.”
She says that despite this, insurers have taken less time to process claims than they did after the 2011 Christchurch Earthquakes.
Stevens says the rising cost of insurance, caused in part by the weather events of 2023, is also becoming an issue for people when the cost of living has gone up across the board.
“The increase in the cost of insurance was one of our top five enquiry issues this year,” Stevens says. “This is unsurprising given the ongoing financial pressure on households.”
She says the IFSO Scheme has a limited ability to look at complaints regarding insurance pricing and increases in premiums. However, if people are struggling, she recommends they talk to their insurer about their options, or shop around for quotes from other insurers.
“Sometimes, choosing a higher excess can reduce premiums,” she adds.
Scope of cover was the top issue for complaints investigated by the IFSO Scheme. Stevens says that, in some cases, this issue arises from consumers not understanding what their policy covers.
“For example, most house insurance only covers sudden damage, not gradual damage. If a house already had issues before a weather event, it's unlikely that insurance will cover the cost of fixing those pre-existing problems,” she says.
Stevens says that expert evidence is often key in cases where the scope of cover is disputed.
“Getting an independent builder or engineer’s report is important if you disagree with what your insurer is saying,” she says.
Of the complaints the IFSO Scheme investigated, 68% were about general insurance, which includes house, contents, vehicle and travel insurance. 21% of complaints were about health, life or disability insurance, and 11% were about other financial services such as loans and credit, or financial advice.
Consumers complained about house insurance the most, accounting for 24% of all complaints. This was followed by travel insurance at 18%, and motor vehicle insurance at 17%.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
From 1 October, new livestock movement restrictions will be introduced in parts of Central Otago dealing with infected possums spreading bovine TB to livestock.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.