Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

This month marks 12 months since the devastating floods which hit Townsville, in my electorate—a whole year of pain, heartache and loss for many residents, and of resilience and recovery for many others. It is difficult to fathom that it has only been one year. So much has happened.

I remember the night the text message warnings came rolling through. The rain had been pelting down nonstop for days, and there were a lot of people becoming pretty uneasy about the weather and the flash flooding that was happening around town. But soon attention turned to the dam, which had reached levels of more than double its capacity in a very short amount of time. As the decision was made to start opening the gates, the Ross River swelled and the inundation of hundreds of homes and businesses began. No-one knew exactly what was coming or what to expect.

What followed was the evacuation of thousands of people. Some got out before the floodwater took hold. But, for others, it was too late. It was then that we saw the incredible community of North Queensland come together amidst adversity. As roads became rivers, anyone with a tinnie was out on the water. They were bravely risking their own lives in reaching residents whose homes had turned to islands.

Then there was the immediate aftermath. The devastation was real as people cleaned up, throwing out their muddied belongings and hosing out the homes they'd worked so hard for. As stories emerged of residents who had lost everything, even more stories came out of the generous and selfless acts of members of the community who just wanted to help their fellow Townsvilleans. It all made me very proud to call Townsville home.

The months have gone by, and we have reached the year-long milestone. There has been a lot of progress, but there's also a long way to go. Plenty of people have still not returned to their homes, unable to afford repairs or still waiting on the insurers to pay out. Many small business owners are only just reopening or, in the case of some—the motels on Bowen Road, for example—they are still at work on the process.

Today, the federal government has provided help in the form of cash grants to individuals and small business owners, to the tune of $42.3 million in the Townsville area. But I'm under no illusion that this will put an end to all the problems that people are facing. So I want to say to the people of Herbert: if you're still hurting, if you're still struggling, please get in touch with me. If you need help, please reach out to my office. If there's red tape that needs cutting through, I want to know about it. If your insurance premium has gone through the roof, I want to know about it. And there's another thing that has become very clear through this event, which we'll talk more about after this—high insurance premiums.

I want to pay special tribute to the hundreds of defence and emergency services personnel who gave their all serving their community through those tough days, and many had their houses inundated by water. They put in extra hours and they took risks, all for the sake of looking after the community that they love. But, for them, it's not all about Townsville. I was so delighted to hear that during the recent bushfire crisis that has plagued down south of Townsville—in New South Wales and Victoria, where people's lives have been lost; and houses, properties and businesses engulfed by flames—they deployed to help their fellow Australians. These are people who themselves went through a terrible disaster only a year ago, and they wanted to help other communities. Members of the 5th Aviation Regiment from Townsville flew down, as did 52 firefighters from North Queensland rural fire brigades. I'd like to thank them for their selfless service not just to Townsville but beyond. Many are still battling flames or helping with recovery now.

So, 12 months on, we take stock. We reflect, we learn and we celebrate our progress. And we push on with the rest of the job. We may have been knocked down, but we are definitely getting up again.

The other important issue which I'd like to speak about this evening is the issue that is adversely impacting many North Queenslanders—insurance. Mr Deputy Speaker, as you're no doubt aware, Townsville was hit by the natural disaster I've just spoken about. Thousands of locals have been displaced from their homes, have suffered significant damage to their homes and their income and, during this time, have sustained much stress. It is extremely disheartening to see insurance companies take advantage of the situation through what can only be described as price gouging.

I refuse to sit by as premiums keep rising, property owners are forced out of the market and people in my electorate of Herbert are suffering, with nowhere to turn. Make no mistake: we're in the grip of an insurance crisis and market failure. That is why the ACCC has been instructed to conduct its investigation into the cost of insurance in northern Australia—so it can shine a light on this despicable issue and respond accordingly. While the final report of the inquiry isn't due until the end of the year, recent hearings have all but confirmed what we already know. North Queenslanders, who have already been hit by a once-in-500-years devastating flood, are now being hit again. Time and time again we've heard stories of people in the electorate of Herbert being forced to pay significantly higher insurance premiums on their homes, contents, vehicles and businesses. Things have gotten so bad that I've heard many stories from people who say they can no longer afford to cover themselves because premiums are simply too high. The sheer stress for those who can no longer afford insurance is harrowing.

This is a national disgrace and something which must be fixed as a matter of priority. Combined home and contents insurance premiums rose by 130 per cent in northern Australia between 2007-08 and 2017-18. This is compared to a rise of 50 per cent across the rest of Australia. The average cost for combined insurance across North Queensland is $2,400—more than a thousand dollars above the average cost across in the rest of Australia, whose premiums average $1,300. This situation is simply not good enough. I understand that tackling the problem is complex, and I'm grateful that the responsible minister, the Assistant Treasurer, was able to come to Townsville and speak with residents of our city firsthand. Minister Sukkar heard just how significant ongoing insurance issues were to the people of North Queensland. The stories we heard at the forum and continue to hear are shocking and a cause for great concern.

The people of Townsville and North Queensland have reached crisis point. We currently have organisations such as the Anglican Church of North Queensland forced to self-insure their properties, and their insurance premiums are going up by 500 per cent. We have family owned and run businesses left devastated as they continue to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives and their businesses. Some people, particularly in strata title properties, simply cannot access insurance. We've seen the Townsville RSL's flood insurance increase tenfold and nursing homes on the brink of closure. This simply isn't good enough. We are right now in the midst of a disaster season. Time is of the essence. We need less talk and more action.

See this speech in context