The Insurance Council of New Zealand has again called for improved resilience measures as parts of the country clean up after more heavy rainfall and damaging wind.

The MetService issued a red rain warning on Friday and said dangerous river and road conditions, flooding and landslips were expected.  

A state of emergency was declared for the Nelson-Tasman area, while the upper North Island was also affected by severe conditions.

“This is tough for communities that were just beginning to get back on their feet after recent major storms,” ICNZ CEO Kris Faafoi said.

The South Island was affected by flooding late last month, with homes evacuated, emergency centres opened, schools closed and roads cut as the Tasman and Marlborough regions experienced intense rainfall.

Nelson-Tasman Emergency Management has re-established a community information centre at the Motueka Recreation Centre due to the latest events, with insurance sector contacts available.

Mr Faafoi says New Zealand is highly vulnerable to climate events, and natural disasters are likely to become more frequent and severe.

“We have consistently called for a collective nationwide approach, led by government, to reduce risk by avoiding development in high-risk areas and investing in resilience infrastructure like stopbanks,” he said.

“By building our resilience to climate change, we can better protect communities and ensure insurance remains accessible in the future.”