The development of a new draft guideline outlining how insurers should deal with hardship cases is imminent, according to the independent reviewer of the General Insurance Code of Practice.

Ian Enright, who is conducting the review, told insuranceNEWS.com.au he is hoping to have a draft guideline on hardship agreed to by both consumer and insurer representatives “very soon”.

The draft guideline is currently being reviewed by the Code Advisory Panel, which consists of one insurer and one consumer representative.

Mr Enright says a roundtable forum featuring consumer and insurer representatives on the subject of hardship produced “a great deal of consensus”.

He hopes that consensus can be reached on some of the other recommendations in his final report – on track to be released in May – but admits that some issues will remain contentious.

Unlike the breakthrough on hardship, the review’s community consultations held so far – in Sydney, Melbourne and Wagga Wagga – have been less successful, with Mr Enright telling insuranceNEWS.com.au they did not attract many participants, despite efforts to promote the sessions. 

A community consultation planned for Ipswich tomorrow has been put on hold after the recent flooding in the area, as Mr Enright says the community is still in the midst of its clean-up and may not be ready to discuss big-picture insurance issues.

Sessions scheduled for Shepparton on February 14 and Perth on February 18 are also in doubt, with no registrations in Shepparton – even from local government representatives who have been invited to meet with Mr Enright – and just one registered participant in Perth.

Mr Enright says that despite the low levels of interest and participation in the community forums, giving people the opportunity to participate is an important part of the review process.