The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has announced a new strategic approach which will include a complete restructure of the organisation and the closure of its regional offices in Melbourne and Perth. As many as 12 positions have been made redundant.

New CEO Kerrie Kelly said this morning that ICA will concentrate on relations with governments and regulators to “play a more active role in public policy”.

“As a further step toward engaging more effectively with those in the public policy arena, the council has adopted a new structure, with the creation of four policy directorates focusing on insurance customers, insurance regulation, economics and taxation, and risk and disaster planning,” she said.

A new position of Manager Government Relations will be taken up by ACT and NSW Regional Manager Allan Hansell. Several existing functional areas have been restructured.

The new structure also involves the closure of ICA’s regional offices in Melbourne and Perth and a consolidation around the Sydney HQ. Offices in Brisbane and Adelaide were closed several years ago.

Ms Kelly says ICA’s regional committees, supported by senior ICA employees and – where appropriate – specialist external advisers, “will play an important part in our public policy work in the states and territories”.