The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has declared two Significant Events for communities affected by recent severe rainfall and flooding in the Northern Territory and Queensland.
The Northern Territory flooding includes Katherine and surrounding regions, while the Queensland event includes the Bundaberg region and Burnett River catchment.
Insurers have started receiving claims across both affected regions, with numbers expected to rise in the coming days. The ICA said it is too early to estimate the total insurance damage bill.
The immediate priority is ensuring the safety of communities dealing with serious and fast-moving flood events in both regions.
The ICA said it will continue working with governments as communities recover and will provide updates on claims as more information becomes available.
Andrew Hall, CEO of Insurance Council of Australia, said, “Insurers’ first priority is community safety and we strongly encourage everyone impacted by these flood events to avoid any activity that could put their safety at risk.
“Our advice to affected policyholders is to lodge a claim as soon as you can, even if you don’t yet know the full extent of the damage.
“Lodging via your insurer’s online portal is generally the quickest way to get the process started.
“Communities in the NT and along the Queensland Coast have long lived with flood risk, but the gap between what’s been built to protect them and what’s needed remains far too wide.
“These events are another reminder that all levels of government must invest in resilience before disaster strikes, not just recovery after the damage is done.”
