Western Australia’s insurance sector and governments at both state and federal level have outlined measures in response to Tropical Cyclone Narelle, covering health insurance premium relief, catastrophe and reinsurance treatment, and disaster recovery funding for households, businesses, and public assets.
Health Insurance Fund of Australia (HIF) has introduced health insurance premium relief for members living in Western Australian locations it has identified as affected by Cyclone Narelle. The relief applies to eligible members in a set of regional postcodes, including:
HIF said the measure will provide health insurance premium relief to members in areas affected by Narelle and is aimed at addressing financial pressures linked to the event. Members who consider themselves impacted are being asked to contact the fund via its customer line or email to discuss options for accessing the relief. The move adds to the broader insurance and government response to Narelle in regions where customers may be managing concurrent impacts on health, property, and income.
On March 26, Insurance Australia Group (IAG) – whose brands include NRMA Insurance, RACQ Insurance, CGU, WFI, and Rollin’ – said its Major Event Response and Natural Perils teams had been tracking Narelle for more than 10 days through a 24/7 Major Events Command Centre. The cyclone re-intensified into a category four system, with destructive winds, large tides and waves, and heavy rainfall affecting coastal areas.
IAG executive general manager claims Luke Gallagher said the group’s command centre and situational awareness mapping technology were being used to assess severity and direct resources. “Severe Cyclone Narelle has impacted hundreds of communities across Australia, and we’ve responded to Cyclone Narelle across three states. Our response vehicles are ready to be deployed to impacted Western Australian communities, and our claims teams, assessors, and repairer network are on standby to respond,” Gallagher said. He urged policyholders to follow directions from emergency services, take practical steps to reduce risk where it is safe to do so, and contact their insurer promptly if affected so that support such as temporary accommodation, emergency payments, or make-safe repairs can be arranged.
QBE said it has added staff to manage call volumes and claim lodgements from Narelle-affected customers. The insurer is asking policyholders to notify it of losses as soon as they are safe and able to do so, while noting that assessors and trades can only enter impacted areas once emergency authorities declare access safe. QBE advised policyholders to follow emergency services’ directions, avoid driving through floodwaters, exercise caution around potential electrical hazards and unstable structures, document damage with photographs or video, and be wary of unlicensed repairers or possible claims-related scams.
In parallel with insurer actions, the Albanese and Cook governments have activated disaster recovery assistance under the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) for communities affected by Ex-Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle. As of March 30, 2026, the shires of Exmouth, Carnarvon, and Shark Bay are eligible for DRFA measures. Assistance can be made available to individuals and families, small businesses, local governments, and state government agencies.
For households, available assistance includes emergency support for immediate and essential needs, access to wellbeing services, and means-tested financial support to replace essential household items and undertake minor repairs, subject to evidence of damage. Impacted residents are being directed to the Department of Communities Disaster Relief Hotline on 1800 032 965 for information on available measures and eligibility. For small businesses, interest rate subsidies may be provided where operations have been directly affected. Local governments and state agencies can access funding to help meet the cost of restoring essential public assets, including roads and other critical infrastructure. These entities are being advised to contact the Department of Fire and Emergency Services Recovery Funding line on 1800 920 659. Western Australian Premier Roger Cook said the state was working with the Commonwealth to coordinate support. “The damage caused by Ex-Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle is confronting to see, and I again want to acknowledge and thank everyone who has played a part in responding in recent days. My government has worked closely with the Albanese government to make support available to affected communities as quickly as possible,” Cook said.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said the Commonwealth would continue to work with the state government through the recovery phase. “The impacts of Ex-Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle have been destructive, and my thoughts are with everyone that has been affected. We will continue to work closely with the Western Australian government to support the recovery of impacted communities because we know recovery from events such as this have a long tail,” McBain said. Western Australian Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia said DRFA activation followed frequent contact between the two levels of government and would assist with the cost of restoring essential public assets. Pilbara MLA Kevin Michel said the funding would help communities manage financial pressures associated with rebuilding and recovery.
