The Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) has backed new test standards for methamphetamine contamination in residential properties.

Under the standards, the contamination level requiring remediation is raised to 1.5 micrograms per 100 square cm, up from 0.5 micrograms previously.

“On balance, insurers support the increase… which better reflects current scientific understanding of the health risks of methamphetamine,” ICNZ Operations Manager Terry Jordan said.

“There are numerous conflicting messages about meth contamination and insurers have seen increasing numbers of claims from property owners faced with levels of contamination, from tenants passively smoking, right through to contamination from meth labs.”

Claims for meth-contaminated dwellings have risen in recent years to cost the industry more than $NZ30 million ($28.56 million) a year, from about 100 properties per month.

A report on the proliferation of meth contamination in buildings in Australia and New Zealand is in the latest issue of Insurance News (the magazine).