An expert panel of three hydrologists established by the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) began work in January on reports that the council believes will speed up the claims process for the Queensland floods.

Although the reports are not binding on insurers, they will be made available to both insurers and policyholders to use as a resource. The industry is funding the panel and there is no extra cost to policyholders using the reports.

The hydrologists are preparing plain English reports describing the causes, nature and severity of the flooding and the inundation for each major town and region. They do not define what constitutes flooding.

The panel has not set a date for the release of its first report. It is working with local government floodplain managers, state agencies and has previously said it is awaiting data from the Bureau of Meteorology.

ICA spokesman Patrick Lewis says although some non-state agencies have just released data, the order in which the reports will be released is dependent on obtaining information “and we are still seeking some data sets”.

He says the hydrologists’ work is not expected to increase disputes.

“The hydrologists will bring the benefit of their experience and training to give an expert opinion, providing an extra set of resources for consumers and insurers alike.”

ICA CEO Rob Whelan says the panel’s work will provide greater clarity and transparency in assessing the nature of the flood.

“A limited supply of hydrologists in Australia has the potential to slow down claims processing following the Queensland floods, potentially causing a direct impact on flood victims seeking to make a claim,” he said.