Insurers “appear slower to respond” to claims from the Bundaberg floods than they were after the Brisbane catastrophe of 2011, according to Legal Aid Queensland civil justice lawyer Paul Holmes.

Mr Holmes attended a meeting in Bundaberg last Wednesday, along with Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) Senior Case Manager Dion Newburn, Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) GM Policy Risk and Disaster Karl Sullivan, more than 180 policyholders and 30 insurance company representatives.

Similar meetings were held after the 2011 Brisbane floods, “but back then a lot of people attending had already had their claims refused,” he told insuranceNEWS.com.au. “This time that is not the case.”

Mr Holmes cannot say whether this indicates a different approach by insurers.

The meeting, organised by ICA, dealt with issues such as claims lodgement, handling and assessment times and the scope of rebuilding work and cash settlements.

Media representatives were allowed to attend the first part of the meeting for presentations by Mr Holmes, Mr Newburn and Mr Sullivan, but were asked to leave when policyholders began to ask questions relating to their situations.

“Barring the media didn’t worry me one way or the other,” Mr Holmes told insuranceNEWS.com.au. “The earlier people get advice about their legal rights and begin discussions with their insurers, the easier it is to head off problems emerging later.”

The meeting was positive and “helped dispel myths and tell people how insurance works”, according to Mr Newburn.

“The main message was to talk to their brokers and insurers and let them help decide if losses are covered,” he said.

Dissatisfied policyholders can then contact FOS or Legal Aid Queensland to pursue their cases.

ICA spokesman Campbell Fuller says it was “appropriate for privacy reasons” to exclude the media while individual cases were discussed.

Policyholders were able to consult representatives from companies including Suncorp, Vero, CGU, Shannons, Zurich and RACQ.

ICA CEO Rob Whelan says the meeting “will help speed up the recovery process and provide some peace of mind”.