# RD-NS-15: A landslip damaged our retaining wall in Nelson. Is that covered by our home insurance or the Natural Hazards Commission? Collected 11 October 2026 [Home and contents insurance study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/insurance/home-contents-insurance) ## ChatGPT Answer ID: 188d35dd-cb59-4b4d-bbf2-eda4182c836c In New Zealand, a landslip that damages a retaining wall may be covered by your home insurance, the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC), or a combination of both. The key question is whether the landslip caused damage to your insured home or another insured structure, and whether the retaining wall itself qualifies for cover. A retaining wall is not automatically covered just because it is on your property. The cause of the slip, the wall's location, and your insurance policy's wording all matter. ## What is likely to be covered? According to the NHC's current guidance, these are the main possibilities. [Cover for storm, flood, and landslide damage :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake](https://www.naturalhazards.govt.nz/insurance-and-claims/cover-for-storm-flood-and-landslide-damage/)[About natural hazards cover :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake](https://www.naturalhazards.govt.nz/insurance-and-claims/about-nhcover/) 1. Damage to your home If a natural landslip damages your insured home, NHCover generally provides the first layer of building cover, up to $300,000 plus GST. Your private home insurer generally covers eligible damage above that amount, subject to your policy. 2. Damage to your retaining wall The NHC may cover a retaining wall if it: - Supports or protects your home, insured related buildings or insured land. - Is within 60 metres of your home. - Meets the other applicable eligibility requirements. For natural hazard damage first occurring on or after 1 July 2024, NHCover has a combined limit of $50,000 plus GST for all eligible retaining walls. This is part of the land cover calculation, not an automatic payment of that amount. [About natural hazards cover :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake](https://www.naturalhazards.govt.nz/insurance-and-claims/about-nhcover/)[Natural Hazards Insurance Act :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake](https://www.naturalhazards.govt.nz/about-nhc/how-we-work/natural-hazards-insurance-act-2023/) 3. Damage to landscaping or a garden wall A wall used mainly for decorative landscaping, rather than to support or protect insured land or buildings, generally isn't covered by the NHC. Your private insurer may offer additional retaining-wall cover, depending on your policy. [About natural hazards cover :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake](https://www.naturalhazards.govt.nz/insurance-and-claims/about-nhcover/)[Slopes and retaining walls :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake](https://www.naturalhazards.govt.nz/be-prepared/make-your-home-safer/slopes-and-retaining-walls/) ## What you should do now 1. Contact your home insurer first. Tell them a landslip has damaged your retaining wall in Nelson and ask them to assess both the wall and any affected land or buildings. Your insurer will generally coordinate the NHC claim. 2. Photograph the damage and keep records of when the slip happened, any rainfall or earthquake associated with it, and any quotes or engineering reports. 3. Make the site safe. If the wall is moving or could collapse, keep people away and seek professional advice. Contact your insurer before incurring significant emergency repair costs where possible. [Making urgent repairs :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake](https://www.naturalhazards.govt.nz/insurance-and-claims/making-urgent-repairs/)[Claims process :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake](https://www.naturalhazards.govt.nz/insurance-and-claims/claims/claims-process/) Official guidance: [NHC — Cover for storm, flood and landslide damage](https://www.naturalhazards.govt.nz/insurance-and-claims/cover-for-storm-flood-and-landslide-damage/). ## Can I narrow down whether your wall is covered? Two details would help me give you a more specific answer: - What caused the landslip? For example, heavy rain, flooding, an earthquake, or gradual ground movement over time. - What does the retaining wall support? For example, the house itself, a driveway or accessway, a bank of soil elsewhere in the garden, or a boundary with a neighbour. These details can make a significant difference to whether the NHC, your private insurer, or neither will cover the repair. ## Gemini Answer ID: 563d06a9-1b7a-4002-9c8c-6b22bda692b1 When a landslip damages a retaining wall in New Zealand, coverage is shared between the **Natural Hazards Commission (NHC)** (formerly known as EQC) and your **private home insurance** company, depending on the wall's location, purpose, and value. ### 1. Where to Start: Your Private Insurer Even though part of the claim falls under government-backed NHCover (funded via your private policy's levy), **you should contact your private home insurance company first.** * Private insurers in New Zealand manage natural hazard claims on behalf of the NHC under a streamlined response model. * Your insurer will log the claim, coordinate the assessment, and help sort out which parts are covered by the NHC and which parts (if any) fall under your private policy. --- ### 2. How the Coverage Works Under New Zealand legislation, retaining walls are classified under **land cover** rather than building cover, but they have specific criteria: * **When the NHC (NHCover) steps in:** The NHC provides limited cover for retaining walls that **support or protect your home, insured related buildings, or insured land**, provided they are located **within 60 metres** of your home. * **The NHC Cap for Retaining Walls:** For qualifying retaining walls, the NHC has a specific statutory limit (capped at a maximum of **$50,000 plus GST** for all your retaining walls combined per event). Furthermore, land and retaining wall payouts are generally based on a "conceptual repair" or indemnity/market value formula, meaning it may not cover 100% of modern replacement costs. * **When your Private Insurer steps in:** Standard private house policies sometimes offer additional or extended cover for retaining walls that exceed the NHC criteria or limits, though many policies exclude or limit landscaping and standalone walls. Your private insurer will assess your specific policy wording to see if any top-up or separate provisions apply. --- ### Key Next Steps 1. **Take photos:** Document the damage to the retaining wall, the landslip itself, and any threats to your home or driveway before any cleanup or temporary repairs begin. 2. **Call your insurance provider:** Let them know you've experienced a landslip affecting your retaining wall in Nelson, and they will guide you through lodging the NHC and private claim components. 3. **Check for safety:** If the landslip or wall failure is threatening the structural integrity of your house or immediate access, contact the Nelson City Council for urgent safety advice. Are you concerned that the landslip is currently threatening your home or driveway access? ## AI Overviews Answer ID: c30f829f-2289-4de6-ab8d-73b1a9b10b79 A landslip damaging a retaining wall is primarily covered under **Natural Hazards Cover (NHCover)** , which is administered by the **Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake**. Private home insurance policies in New Zealand generally do not cover land damage or the structures that support it. However, you do not deal with the Natural Hazards Commission directly. Under the current system, **you must lodge the entire claim directly through your private home insurer** , who will manage the process on behalf of the NHC. What the Natural Hazards Commission Covers For your retaining wall to qualify for NHCover following a landslip, it must meet specific criteria: * **Proximity to the Home:** The retaining wall must be within **60 metres** of your home or insured outbuildings. * **Purpose:** The wall must be necessary to **support or protect** your home, insured outbuildings, or the covered residential land around them (such as land within 8 metres of the house or your main accessway). * **Coverage Cap:** Under the Natural Hazards Insurance Act, the payout for retaining walls is capped at **$50,000 plus GST** per dwelling structure. * **Valuation Basis:** For recent events, the NHC covers the **"undepreciated value"** (the structural build cost) of the wall up to the cap. It acts as a contribution toward repairs, which means if replacing the wall costs more than the land value or the $50,000 cap, you may have to pay the shortfall out of pocket. What Private Insurance Covers Your private home insurance policy typically handles the "top-up" cover for your actual house structure if it exceeds the NHC building cap, but it **excludes land stabilization and land structures**. * **The House Structure:** If the landslip also impacted or imminently threatens your main dwelling, the NHC covers the first $300,000 plus GST of house damage, and your **private insurer covers the remaining costs** up to your policy's sum insured. * **The Retaining Wall:** Private insurers generally do not provide top-up coverage for land components or retaining walls. Once the NHC cap for the retaining wall is reached, private policies rarely cover the excess. Next Steps for Your Claim 1. **Document everything immediately:** Before doing any cleanup or temporary repairs, take extensive, timestamped **photos and videos** of the landslip and the broken retaining wall from multiple angles. 2. **Contact your insurer:** Submit your claim online or over the phone through your **private home insurance provider**. They will process both the private policy components and the NHC portion for you. 3. **Check for safety:** Because you are in Nelson—an area prone to rainfall-related terrain stability issues—ensure the slip has not compromised the main foundations of your home. If it has, notify your insurer immediately so they can fast-track an emergency assessment. ## Google AI Mode Answer ID: 602e55f3-aeb1-4cf7-8de6-c7f43fe4e9b1 Damage to a retaining wall from a landslip is typically handled through a combination of **both** your private home insurance and the **Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (formerly EQC)**. How the coverage works depends heavily on the location and the function of the retaining wall: [Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake] * * **Natural Hazards Commission (NHCover):** The commission provides limited residential land cover, which can include retaining walls—but **only if** the wall is necessary to support your home, the land immediately under/within 8 m of your house, or the main accessway/driveway within 60 m of your house. Note that NHCover generally excludes purely cosmetic or landscaping walls that do not structurally support the home or main accessway, and land cover payouts are subject to statutory limits (based on indemnity value/depreciated replacement cost rather than full new-for-old replacement). * **Private Home Insurance:** Your private insurer handles the primary fire and general home policy, and they often manage the initial claim process on behalf of the Natural Hazards Commission. While private policies generally exclude general land or retaining wall damage from natural disasters, they may offer extended or discretionary cover for specific structural elements depending on your policy wording. * Recommended Next Steps 1. **Contact your private home insurance provider** as soon as possible to lodge the claim. They will coordinate with the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake to assess whether the damage falls under NHCover or your private policy. 2. Take photos of the damage and the surrounding landslip safely before any cleanup or emergency repairs begin. If you'd like, let me know: * **Where the retaining wall is located** relative to your house (e.g., holding up the driveway, right next to the foundations, or out in the garden) * **What caused the landslip** (heavy rainfall, storm event, etc.) I can help give you a clearer idea of how the Natural Hazards Commission and your insurer typically split the assessment.