Nearly 1900 – 10 vehicles a day – have been reported stolen in Northland in just six months and the unaffordability of insurance has exacerbated the woes of vehicle owners.

Police stats show between August
30, 2022, and March 1, 2023, 1886 vehicles were stolen and unlawfully used. It equated to 10 a day, nearly 72 a week and 287 every month.

Most of the vehicles were stolen in Whangārei (800), followed by Kamo (178), Kerikeri (119), Kaitaia (113), Onerahi (102), Paihia and Kaikohe (99). The lowest was Ruawai (3).

Whangārei Budgeting Service financial mentor Shannon Phillips said the figures were worrying.

“Due to the current unstable financial situations most of our tangata deal with in general, the added expense of insurance is now viewed as a luxury expense and not a necessity.

“When it comes down to paying housing, utilities and food, insurance is usually the first thing to be put on hold or cancelled. This can lead to potential complications if the vehicle is under finance and held as collateral against the loan as they are required to be fully insured,” she said.

Phillips said the budgeting service has had only one client whose vehicle was stolen but since it was insured, the owner was paid the market value of the vehicle.

She said if struggling families were unable to afford full insurance, they may be able to look at the cheaper option of third party, fire and theft.

Whangārei physiotherapist Anthea Allpress’ insured 1996 Nissan Primera was stolen from outside her Morningside home on the night of May 19 — two months after her aunt’s Honda Odyssey was taken and used in a ram-raid at the Okara shopping centre.

She and her aunt live in the same house.

Allpress advises car owners to have insurance, an alarm or an immobiliser in their vehicles, no matter their value.

Her dad gave her the Nissan Primera as a birthday gift early last year.

It was found abandoned at Jack St in Otangarei the same night with three worn-out tyres after a police chase. One of the back doors was dented.

Police knocked on her door just after midnight on May 19 to inform Allpress her car had been stolen and for her to organise a tow truck.

“I will use the car if it’s usable. It cost only about $2000 but it will cost more than that to fix it. In the meantime, I’ve borrowed my sister’s car because I have to get to and from work, and also pick her kids up from school,” Allpress said.

“We’ve had two cars stolen within a space of a few weeks. It’s just unfair. Families rely on cars to get things done and although I don’t have kids, a lot of families have and it’s a real inconvenience when their cars get stolen,” she said.

Allpress said many years ago, thieves tried to steal his dad’s old Mazda van but gave up.

Insurance companies said the trend in increased car thefts made it more important to ensure New Zealanders kept their insurance details updated.

AMI received 8492 claims for vehicle thefts across New Zealand, which was 43 per cent more than the year prior and more than 50 per cent greater than in 2019.

Toyota Aqua, Mazda Demio, Nissan Tiida and Subaru are among the most commonly nicked cars.