Claims from the Victorian earthquake on June 19 are coming from a wider area than first thought, extending to a 125km radius.

The 5.4-magnitude quake struck about 135km east of Melbourne, with Geoscience Australia reporting an impact zone of 25km radius. But FMG Engineering structural engineer Bil Hawkins says he is being called to assess claims from much further out.

He says much of the damage is cosmetic but some cases involve major structural damage.

“In Australia we don’t design for earthquakes,” he told insuranceNEWS.com.au. “So when you have even a small one you will get some kind of cracking.”

The Insurance Council of Australia says most damage has been relatively minor.

RACV Insurance has received 1100 claims from the earthquake. GM Paul Northey says claims have been widespread across eastern Victoria but the majority have come from Morwell, Moe and Newborough in central Gippsland.

“The most common claims were for home structural damage, including cracked plaster walls and ceilings,” he said.

Other insurers have told insuranceNEWS.com.au many claims for damage were actually caused by ground movement from the recent drought.

Mr Hawkins estimates that of 175 assessments in the past month, about half received cosmetic damage and a quarter incurred significant structural damage that might be due to pre-existing conditions. The rest had damage unrelated to the earthquake.

A recurring issue has come from timber houses with concrete tile roofs. Mr Hawkins says the shaking of the heavy roof on a light frame has damaged ceilings and ripped apart cornices.

The Gippsland district has had further tremors since the June earthquake.