A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
15 December 2015
This is the final scheduled insuranceNEWS.com.au bulletin for 2015. We will return on February 1, but while we’re in recess any significant industry news will be covered by our Breaking News service…
Local
Natural disasters, slowdown the key risks ahead: Fitch
14 December 2015
A sharp economic downturn and large natural catastrophes are the main risks facing Australian and New Zealand insurers, according to Fitch’s outlook for next year…
Flood group urges insurers to share data
14 December 2015
Floodplain Management Australia says insurers should be more open to sharing flood data to enable better assessment of risks…
NT insurance costs ‘exclude’ low-income households
14 December 2015
Low-income households face “insurance exclusion” due to rapid premium rises, according to a report from the Northern Territory Council of Social Service…
Human touch still crucial in age of automation: Suncorp
14 December 2015
Increasing automation is revolutionising the underwriting industry, but the human touch remains vital, according to a new Suncorp white paper…
Firefighters slam flammable cladding response
14 December 2015
Melbourne’s Metropolitan Fire Brigade has strongly criticised the response to last year’s blaze at the Lacrosse apartments in the city’s Docklands, which spread rapidly due to the presence of flammable building cladding…
Industry standing firm despite headwinds: S&P
14 December 2015
Australian and New Zealand general insurers are financially strong and the sector’s outlook remains stable despite difficult business conditions, according to Standard and Poor’s…
In Insurance News (the magazine) this month
14 December 2015
Technology and change – and there’s plenty of change going on – feature in the December/January issue of Insurance News (the magazine)…
Insurers welcome coastal mapping plan
07 December 2015
The Insurance Council of Australia has welcomed a comprehensive coastal mapping project to be drawn up by the Federal Government…
AusNet disputes Coroner’s Black Saturday finding
07 December 2015
Power company AusNet has rejected a Victorian Coroner’s Court finding that one of the deadly Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 was caused by a failed power line…
Paris hears IAG’s call for united front on disaster management
07 December 2015
Greater collaboration among governments, insurers and other stakeholders is the key to building disaster-resilient communities, according to the IAG-led PSI Global Resilience Project…
Aon warns councils on cyber threat, JLT says ‘We’ve got it covered’
07 December 2015
Councils are uniquely exposed to cyber risk and should give greater consideration to specific cyber policies, Aon says…
SA bushfire claims pass $119 million
07 December 2015
The number of insurance claims from recent bushfires in SA has reached 1344 and the value of insured losses stands at $119.7 million, according to the Insurance Council of Australia…
Survey to rate Christchurch claims experience
07 December 2015
A customer survey on insurers’ actions after the Christchurch earthquakes is under way, aiming to help create an industry best practice…
Australia contributes to ISO fire safety drive
07 December 2015
The Switzerland-based International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has developed a raft of measures that aim to minimise loss of life in building and vehicle fires…
Asia presents ‘great opportunity’: Swiss Re
30 November 2015
Emerging Asia offers “great opportunities” for Australian insurers, according to Swiss Re…
Deadly SA bushfires declared a catastrophe
30 November 2015
The Insurance Council of Australia has declared bushfires north of Adelaide a catastrophe, activating a special taskforce and hotline…
El Nino persists, but Indian Ocean temperatures offer relief
30 November 2015
The positive Indian Ocean Dipole, which has reinforced the impact of El Nino in Australia since August, has broken down…
Gallagher settles case against former employees
30 November 2015
Arthur J Gallagher has settled a damages action against two former employees who it says breached the restraint-of-trade obligations in their employment contracts…
Study to shed light on underinsurance
30 November 2015
A national survey aims to highlight the true scale of underinsurance in Australia, as the bushfire season gets off to a devastating early start…