Photo: Getty ImagesBlenheim residents say AA Insurance has stopped offering new home insurance policies in their town, following similar decisions in Westport and parts of greater Christchurch. The company would not confirm if new policies in Blenheim were being declined for the same reason, or for flood risk like Westport. The couple ended up buying a different house, insuring it with AMI instead of AA Insurance. "We enquired about insuring a new build in Blenheim yesterday and discovered that AA have blacklisted Blenheim," one said. "These steps would reduce losses and signal to global reinsurers that New Zealand is managing its risk exposure, helping to stabilise costs."

Source: Otago Daily Times February 03, 2026 19:51 UTC