The Insurance Council says the insurance industry has moved hundreds of additional staff into the Canterbury region to react to the massive earthquake which has hit the Canterbury region.

The Insurance Council's Chief Executive, Chris Ryan, says "Staff have been brought in from Australia to assist with the assessment of damage, and in addition to that insurers are bringing in staff from North America and Europe, where required, to cope with the demand from the earthquake."

Insurers are encouraging Cantabrians to make claims to the Earthquake Commission and once these are made, insurance assessors will be made available to visit their properties.

In particular the Insurance Council is encouraging commercial business owners to lodge claims. Many of the international assessors brought in to the region have technical expertise which will allow them to assess the enormous damage to the commercial sector of Christchurch.

Insurance industry call centres are fully diverted to ensure that all claims will be responded to quickly and effectively. The Insurance Council has congratulated the Canterbury community on their courage and resilience to what is clearly one of the most significant and devastating earthquakes to hit New Zealand in decades.

The final cost of the quake is, as yet, unknown. But it is already estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Insurance Council is again encouraging people to secure their homes, protect their families and property, make claims, take photographs of damaged goods if possible, preserve any discarded goods and now discard any perishable goods which may pose a danger to the health of the household.

The Insurance Council is also congratulating and thanking those insurance professionals based in Canterbury who have had their own homes destroyed, and who have continued to work to assist their fellow citizens at a very difficult and stressful time.

0800 numbers for insurers are listed on the Insurance Council's website www.icnz.org.nz and also the EQC's 0800 number is available on its website.

Insurance professionals are now working with local authorities, central government and other recovery agencies to ensure a full response to what is clearly a devastating and enormously destructive event for the Canterbury region.