Ka mate kāinga tahi, ka ora kāinga rua: Legal barriers and obligations in improving Māori access to dwelling insurance for natural hazards

New Zealand maintains a comprehensive public or state-sponsored system for insuring against natural hazards damage via the Natural Hazards Insurance Act 2023. This system is administered by what was the Earthquake Commission (EQC), now Toka Tū Ake – Natural Hazards Commission (TTA-NHC). This research report addresses the legislative and regulatory barriers Māori could encounter when accessing or claiming residential insurance under this system. It is particularly concerned with whether the system operates equitably, ensuring access across different forms of Māori social organisation, and recognising different Māori worldviews. It identifies some gaps and potential barriers in the legislation and regulations that could require addressing, some in the law but mostly in policy. These gaps and barriers involve situations where Māori social organisation functions differently from - for want of a better term - non-Māori social organisations. The report also addresses what Treaty principles might require of TTA-NHC, and makes recommendations for better upholding them.