Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before moving general business notice of motion No. 369, I wish to inform the chamber that Senator Waters will also sponsor the motion. At the request of Senators Watt, Chisholm and Waters, I move:

That the Senate notes that—

(a) one year ago, flood waters peaked in Townsville in one of the worst natural disasters to have impacted the region;

(b) five people lost their lives due to the flood and 3300 homes were damaged;

(c) more than 30,700 insurance claims have been lodged, with hundreds of people still waiting to move back into their homes;

(d) Emergency Service personnel, Australian Defence Force personnel and volunteers worked tirelessly during the peak of the flood waters and in the rebuild efforts afterwards;

(e) the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) inquiry into northern Australian insurance that found insurance premiums rose by 130% in northern Australia over the past decade, compared to just over 50% in the rest of the country;

(f) the ACCC found that the number of homes with no building insurance in Townsville has more than doubled from 9% in 2011 to 20% in 2019;

(g) the ACCC has made 28 recommendations aimed at making insurance in north Queensland fairer, and more transparent; and

(h) the people of Townsville urgently need affordable and fair insurance to ensure they are protected from future weather events.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

The PRESI DENT: Leave is granted for one minute.

The government has invested $10 million, which has been matched by the Queensland government, in the Household Resilience Program. The program delivers additional funds for homeowners to improve the ability of the premises to withstand North Queensland weather events. The government is currently considering the recommendations coming from the ACCC report.

Question agreed to.