Drains under scrutiny in wake of Coffs Harbour deluge
Maintenance of drains is looming as a hot issue on the NSW mid-north coast as the area continues to recover from the March deluge that caused massive damage.
Since the event The Coffs Coast Advocate newspaper has been reporting residents’ concerns about inadequate or poorly maintained drains.
Among them is Steve Gooley, whose Coffs Harbour businesses on two sides of the Pacific Highway were inundated. He told insuranceNEWS.com.au he wants to organise a meeting between businesses in his area and the local city council to discuss the issue.
“Our centre flooded for a bit over an hour and it’s my contention that if the drains were maintained properly it would have run well enough for us not to have any flooding,” Mr Gooley said.
The latest ICA estimates put the number of Coffs Harbour claims at 2500 and a cost of $38 million. This is up from initial estimates of 2000 claims and $27 million.
Aon Australia National GM Retail Risk Services Scott Willmot says most insurers are “taking a storm approach” over the event. He says damage in the Noosa area of south-east Queensland which occurred a few days later was caused by the same low pressure system.
“Our experience to date is that the insurers have been taking a very sensitive approach to it,” he told insuranceNEWS.com.au.
Since the event The Coffs Coast Advocate newspaper has been reporting residents’ concerns about inadequate or poorly maintained drains.
Among them is Steve Gooley, whose Coffs Harbour businesses on two sides of the Pacific Highway were inundated. He told insuranceNEWS.com.au he wants to organise a meeting between businesses in his area and the local city council to discuss the issue.
“Our centre flooded for a bit over an hour and it’s my contention that if the drains were maintained properly it would have run well enough for us not to have any flooding,” Mr Gooley said.
The latest ICA estimates put the number of Coffs Harbour claims at 2500 and a cost of $38 million. This is up from initial estimates of 2000 claims and $27 million.
Aon Australia National GM Retail Risk Services Scott Willmot says most insurers are “taking a storm approach” over the event. He says damage in the Noosa area of south-east Queensland which occurred a few days later was caused by the same low pressure system.
“Our experience to date is that the insurers have been taking a very sensitive approach to it,” he told insuranceNEWS.com.au.