Daily

White roofs gain favour as homebuyers turn green: QBE

21 October 2022

Australia has the highest uptake of solar panels in the world as sustainable housing fixtures gain popularity, though homebuyers have been undaunted by record floods in Brisbane, where the median house price jumped by a quarter in the year to June...

'Take responsibility': APRA’s Byres warns on backstops

20 October 2022

Consumers should take a degree of responsibility for their decisions and not rely on government backstops when things go wrong or risks will be under-appreciated and underinsurance problems will increase, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Chairman Wayne Byres has said in his last official speech in the role...

WA doubles maximum builders warranty payout caps

20 October 2022

The WA Government will double the maximum payouts under its home indemnity insurance program in reforms to better protect property owners in cases of incomplete or defective building works...

AFCA set to consider more than 300 BI disputes

19 October 2022

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority has a backlog of more than 300 covid-related business interruption disputes that it is set to consider in the wake of the High Court decision against hearing further appeals in the industry test case...

QBE faces climate scrutiny again after annual scorecard

19 October 2022

QBE and other global insurers have again come under criticism over their climate record following the release of an annual scorecard measuring their efforts to move away from fossil fuel-related businesses...

INsight podcast: floods spread after latest deluge

19 October 2022

The High Court’s rejection of covid-related business interruption appeal applications and the impact of flooding, centred this time in Victoria, are among the main discussion points in the latest episode of the Insurance News podcast...

Thousands of flood claims lodged in Victoria

18 October 2022

Insurers have received 5193 claims since October 12 from flooding across Victoria, Tasmania and lower NSW, which inundated homes and businesses in many riverside communities...

Insurers to cover latest flood claims without reinsurance: S&P

18 October 2022

Australian-based insurers will be able to largely self-finance claims from the latest Victorian, northern Tasmania and NSW flooding without drawing upon catastrophe reinsurance, but the event will still have implications for availability and affordability pressures, S&P Global Ratings says...

High Court BI decision 'significant milestone': ICA

14 October 2022

The High Court decision today against hearing further appeals on business interruption cover during the pandemic has largely drawn the industry test case process to a close, the Insurance Council of Australia says...

Record floods hit south east states

14 October 2022

Thousands of southern Australian residents are under evacuation orders after days of rain pushed rivers and creeks to break their banks, inundating hundreds of homes in record-breaking floods...