The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has completed its third and final major report on insurance in northern Australia – but at this stage we can only speculate as to what it will recommend.

Instead this week’s INsight podcast, produced by insuranceNEWS.com.au, looks back at previous reports from the mammoth inquiry which was launched back in 2017 with the aim of helping improve affordability in the cyclone-threatened north.

Last year’s interim report snubbed the idea of a reinsurance pool, despite renewed enthusiasm from some in government and the industry, while going back further to 2018 reminds us that one ACCC recommendation strayed into the territory of broker commissions.

Much has changed over the last 12 months, with affordability issues worsening significantly, so it remains to be seen whether the ACCC adjusts its stance on key issues to take this into account.

The report is currently in the hands of Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, but the smart money is on it being published before Christmas.

This week’s podcast, hosted by Insurance News Managing Director Andrew Silcox and featuring the insights of Publisher Terry McMullan and Managing Editor John Deex, also addresses mitigation, La Nina, and Allianz’s acquisition of Westpac’s general insurance business.

There’s also a sneak preview of our annual Top 20 influencers feature, and an explanation as to why we’ve taken a slightly different approach this year.

You can find a new episode of INsight published here every Wednesday.