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NZ court overturns Bridgecorp decision

04 February 2013

Australian courts are expected to follow the New Zealand Court of Appeal’s decision to quash the Bridgecorp decision on directors’ and officers’ cover, which forced insurers to redesign policies…

Fire levy monitor investigates more than 100 complaints

04 February 2013

Victoria’s new Fire Services Levy Monitor is already investigating more than 100 complaints from householders and business owners, and he is writing to insurers requiring them to detail how they will…

Court approves bushfire settlement

04 February 2013

Settlement terms for a class action following the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires at Pomborneit in western Victoria have been approved by Justice David Beach in the state’s Supreme Court, paving the way…

Suncorp returns to Emerald

04 February 2013

Suncorp is reviewing risk pricing in Emerald and will offer cover there once again after the State Government pledged $5 million for flood mitigation work…

Outlook stable for Australia and NZ: Fitch

04 February 2013

The Australian insurance sector should maintain a strong credit profile and earnings this year, despite pressure from falling interest rates, according to Fitch Ratings – which has given the sector a stable outlook…

Wivenhoe flood class action maps revealed

04 February 2013

A class action stemming from the Brisbane floods of January 2011 has moved a step closer, with law firm Maurice Blackburn releasing maps of areas it says were hit following negligent operation of the Wivenhoe…

March deadline for Black Saturday fire action

04 February 2013

Victims of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in the Kilmore East and Kinglake districts of Victoria have until March 22 to join a class action run by lawyers Maurice Blackburn…

ICA supports Victorian taxi reform

04 February 2013

The Insurance Council of Australia says key reforms proposed in the Victorian Taxi Industry Inquiry will reduce cab drivers’ financial exposure and benefit other road users and their insurers…

ICNZ takes Christchurch council to court

04 February 2013

The Insurance Council of New Zealand has taken Christchurch City Council to the NZ High Court for a judicial review of the authority’s powers to increase regulations on strengthening buildings…

Quake commission sets year-end target for claims

04 February 2013

By the end of this year New Zealand insurers will have all Canterbury quake claims above the Earthquake Commission cap of $NZ100,000 ($80,000), according to CEO Ian Simpson…

IAG and Munich Re form resilience roundtable

04 February 2013

IAG and Munich Re have joined other Australian businesses in a group to examine the social and economic costs of natural disasters, and how they can be cut by making communities safer and more resilient…

Design faults found in doomed building

04 February 2013

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission has found design faults in the CTV building that collapsed in the February 22 2011 quake, causing 115 of the 185 deaths that day…

Challenger brands chip at insurer ‘duopoly’

10 December 2012

The emergence of “challenger” insurers in the motor sector will dent industry profitability and weaken the grip of IAG and Suncorp, according to a report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch…

Code reviewer signals comprehensive revamp

10 December 2012

The ongoing review of the General Insurance Code of Practice is more thorough than past overhauls so it can “crack… unresolved issues that have lingered for some time”, according to independent reviewer…

Price war marks final days of Victorian FSL

10 December 2012

A price war has broken out in the final months of the Victorian fire services levy, with insurers dropping their rates by different amounts and Vero ditching the FSL on country policies altogether…

NZ proposes deadline on earthquake-prone buildings

10 December 2012

All earthquake-prone buildings should be strengthened or demolished within 15 years of assessment, the New Zealand Government says in an initial response to the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission…

In Insurance News (the magazine) this month

10 December 2012

The December edition of Insurance News (the magazine) is hitting mailboxes this week with its popular mix of news backgrounders, interviews, technical articles and the always-popular PeopleNEWS section…