How earthquakes can effect your property
Around 20,000 earthquakes happen in and around New Zealand each year. Most are too small to be noticed, but around 250 are big enough to be felt. It’s important for people to be prepared for earthquakes as they can occur unexpectedly and without warning.
New Zealand is located on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, making it highly susceptible to earthquakes as these plates are constantly grinding into each other. The collision of these plates and the resulting subduction along the Hikurangi Subduction Zone and Puysegur Trench create frequent seismic activity. In addition to plate boundary interactions, New Zealand has many active fault lines, such as the Alpine Fault and the Wellington Fault, which can move suddenly and cause large earthquakes.