ACC a 'treasure', meeting told

The Accident Compensation Corporation is a "national treasure", Dunedin lawyer Peter Sara told a public meeting on Saturday.

About 100 people turned out to the Acclaim Otago meeting to hear Mr Sara, who has more than 30 years' experience in dealing with ACC claims, talk about issues surrounding the organisation.

However, he warned that New Zealanders receiving injury compensation were "under dire threat".

"What I've seen over the past few years is a culture change in the way ACC people are managed," he said.

There was a "clear campaign" to push as many people off ACC compensation as possible.

Despite recent changes to the handling of cases and the "open secret" the organisation would be privatised, he remained a "great believer" in the ACC scheme.

Compared with the system in United States, under which people sued for compensation, or the situation in Australia, where fault had to be proven, ACC was not only preferable, but a "national treasure".

After being introduced 40 years ago, for the welfare of New Zealanders, the scheme was a success, as it operated on the simple model of compensating accident victims.

"That one idea is a work of pure genius, the likes of which does not exist anywhere else in the world."

For this reason, he was concerned about recent developments which undermined the New Zealand scheme's philosophy.

The increasing number of surgeries which were being denied, the cutting of compensation to hundreds of people and attempts to push others off the scheme were some examples.

ACC would continue to be a success "as long as we keep the bean counters' hands off it", he said.

Mr Sara advised those present to stand strong together and fight changes to ACC and for their right to compensation.

Lobbying the Government, hiring public relations people and pushing for better education on ACC matters for lawyers and doctors were just some moves he recommended.

"If you stand alone, you will fall alone," he said.

ellie.constantine@odt.co.nz