It’s one of the most common criticisms levelled at insurance companies after a natural catastrophe – that they ignore local tradespeople in the repair and recovery process.

That’s a complaint being heard around Townsville, which was hit by devastating floods earlier this year. Local trades firms claim they have been denied extra work that could have helped the community move towards recovery.

“This community really needed that work boost and to have that come as a backlash after such a tragic event is just a little bit of a kick when you’re down,” Electrotek Queensland manager Sonya Corkery told AAP.

Even Prime Minister Scott Morrison weighed in, saying that using local businesses “just further reinforces and assists the recovery effort here in Townsville”.

The only problem is, the accusation that local tradies aren’t getting a look-in isn’t true. The plain fact is that local trades “are being engaged at record levels”, says Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) GM Risk Karl Sullivan.

He says the allegations by local tradies that most of the repair work is being performed by non-local firms “is simply incorrect”.

Writing on LinkedIn, Mr Sullivan says the data provided to ICA by major insurers shows insurers are relying on local companies as well as out-of-town resources, because claims have to be resolved efficiently and “it can’t all be done by local businesses”.

“With nearly 30,000 claims active in the area and over $1 billion being spent by insurers to get the repairs done, there is plenty of work to go around and a pressing need to get it done in a timely fashion, with quality results and without costs placing unnecessary pressure on premiums,” Mr Sullivan says.

“Many insurers have a national supply chain of resources designed to make this happen, and plans also typically rely upon using local capacity."

But he emphasises that local firms have to be able to provide guarantees for the quality of their work, are cost-competitive “and can meet the necessary timelines for completion”.