Insurance Disaster Response Organisation (IDRO) statistics show that more than 26% ­– one in four – South Australian householders are totally uninsured. These numbers have triggered alarm bells in the industry, which says the recent anniversary of the Canberra bushfires should have boosted awareness of the need for insurance.  

IDRO’s South Australian Co-ordinator, Chris Newland, urges SA policyholders to be proactive in preparing for potential bushfire. “After the devastating fires in New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania last year, insurance assessors discovered many families were severely underinsured, with some covering only half the actual value of their damaged and lost property,” he said.

“About one in three households affected by the Canberra fires didn’t have enough insurance to recover all property lost. Others had no insurance at all and had to rebuild their lives from scratch.”