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Analysis

Will insurers opt out of optional flood cover? 

06 November 2023

Australia’s $6 billion flood catastrophe last year devastated many communities, and it may yet have a significant impact on how home insurance policies operate in future...

Battle to stop floodplain building finally gaining traction 

30 October 2023

A battle to stop building housing in the highest risk locations on Australia’s floodplains appears to be finally gaining traction with a NSW Government decision to prevent some proposed development in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley west of Sydney...

Floods tipping point galvanises government, industry 

16 October 2023

Last week’s Insurance Council of Australia Annual Conference was held a year after flood waters inundated towns in northern Victoria in a continuation of natural disasters triggered as torrential rainfall fell across eastern states during a third consecutive La Nina...

Householders a trouble area as investments provide boost 

25 September 2023

The annual Radar report shows householders was the only class to make a loss last financial year, a reversal in investment results drove overall profits higher and affordability pressures are a key issue for the industry...

Reinsurance price rises likely remain on the cards after reset 

18 September 2023

Frustrating and gruelling negotiations leading into last January’s reinsurance renewals remain fresh in the memory as the industry prepares for upcoming discussions, with early expectations suggesting further price increases but an overall smoother process...

10 reasons why our industry is floody effective 

28 August 2023

In an attempt to align the corporate regulator’s recent report on claims handling with insurer profits, Melbourne’s Herald Sun recently ran with the headline “Our insurers are floody useless”...

Home truths: heat rises on affordability problems 

14 August 2023

Actuaries Institute and consumer group research reports have highlighted rising home insurance affordability problems in parts of Australia and set out proposals for action, as consensus rises on some issues while immediate solutions remain a challenge...

Floods inquiry given mandate for ‘pragmatic’ answers  

07 August 2023

Emotions may run high as a Federal Government parliamentary inquiry into insurer responses to record-breaking floods hears accounts of experiences, but Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones has stressed that it will be more than an exercise in venting...

Housing demand, extreme weather up the ante on planning 

31 July 2023

Preventing high-risk building on floodplains is becoming increasingly urgent as climate threats combined with a rising population and greater housing needs potentially put more people at risk from extreme weather events...

Broker commissions, disclosure, and tweaking the code 

17 July 2023

The long and often heated debate around broker commissions and transparency is a saga that many want to see concluded. But a tweak to the revised brokers’ code of practice guarantees the debate will continue...

Mid-year renewals point to strengths of Australian market 

10 July 2023

As the mid-year reinsurance renewals draw to a close, a clearer picture on the state of play has emerged: tough pricing conditions are not going away just yet but reinsurers’ appetite for what they perceive as good risks have improved since the start of the year...