AMASSIVE breakdown in communications and observations by insurers and the Insurance Council of Australia are being criticised as major factors in insurance delays, following the October hail storm which ravaged Casterton.
More than 20 consultants representing all of Australia’s major insurance brokers and companies attended Casterton Town Hall last week, to meet with residents who, almost six months post-storm, were still living in unrepaired homes or working in unrepaired business premises.
Serious questions were initially raised about the insurers’ attention to their Casterton clients in late February, local MP Dan Tehan visiting Casterton to hear residents’ concerns.
A follow-up meeting with Insurance Council of Australia chief, Andrew Hall, at Mr Tehan’s invitation, resulted in last week’s one-on-one consultations, followed by a ‘town hall’ group information session, in the evening.
Staff from Mr Tehan’s office have been working for around six weeks, making representations to the various insurers on residents’ behalf, where issues from incomplete assessments, to a complete lack of contact from the insurance company, had arisen.
Mr Tehan said since the meeting with Mr Hall and more so, since last week’s one-on-one sessions, the positive feedback from residents on the progress of their insurance claims, had grown in leaps and bounds.
“There’s been some really positive outcomes which is fantastic, very pleasing the insurance companies coming to down face to face meeting has led to that positive result for residents and just some peace of mind,” Mr Tehan said.
“I do want to reiterate though, to everyone, if you still are having issues or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the office, so we get everyone sorted as best we can as quick as we can.
“We need everyone to ensure they keep letting us know if there are any delays or any issues.
“Winter is coming and we want to try and get everyone sorted, their homes and businesses secure, before the end of May.”
Mr Tehan said comments from the insurance company representatives, as well as insurance council staff who attended last week’s session, they were not aware of the October hail storm until they were called to attend at Casterton, pointed to a failure in the insurance system itself.
“There’s obviously been a serious failure in the systems at the insurance companies, for them not to see all these claims coming in from the one area, the one postcode and not see that something really bad has happened here,” he said.
“This is something I spoke to Andrew Hall about when he was down here, that it was something that had to be remeded so that when we have, if we have, future events like this, that residents are not just dismissed because they’re just too far away from anywhere to be concerned about, or the event is so isolated, or targeted, that it does not come up as a big incident.”
Mr Tehan said he did not understand how the insurers or council failed to note the Casterton incident, in their systems.
“The funny thing about this, is that it did make the national media, it certainly made the state media … I was on a CJD run just south of Horsham, and I still remember, we head about it on the news then and made immediate plans to be in Casterton the next day,” he said.
“Even the publicity around the category C and D assistance not getting through, that made the news across Victoria.
“I do not know whether they do not read the news clips or what the problem was, but there’s been some sort of failure there, really.”
Anyone still experiencing issues with or concerns over their insurance claims can contact Mr Tehan’s office on 03 5572 1100.
