The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) and participating insurers will return to Casterton in mid-October to engage directly with policyholders affected by the severe hailstorm that struck the region in October 2024.
The upcoming sessions, set for Oct. 14 and 15 at the Casterton Town Hall, are intended to help residents address outstanding claims and clarify the insurance process. Consultation hours are set for 9:30am to 5pm on Tuesday, and 9am to 5pm on Wednesday.
Policyholders will have the opportunity to meet individually with insurer representatives to discuss the status of their claims, seek clarification on documentation, and receive guidance on next steps.
The sessions will also provide general information on dispute resolution and other relevant insurance matters. Attendance requires prior registration through the ICA’s official website.
ICA CEO Andrew Hall noted the ongoing nature of the recovery in the region.
“As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Casterton hailstorm the recovery remains ongoing for some members of the community,” Hall said.
“The Insurance Council recommends that anyone with an unresolved claim schedule an in-person consultation with their insurer,” Hall said.
The Casterton initiative follows a series of insurer-led consultations in New South Wales’s Mid North Coast, where communities experienced significant flooding in May 2025.
The ICA coordinated events in Kempsey, Taree, and Port Macquarie from Sept. 16 to 18, offering policyholders the chance to meet with insurance representatives and access information on the claims process and dispute resolution options.
These sessions were designed to facilitate claim progress and provide clarity on insurance procedures for those affected by the floods.
In a recent submission to the Productivity Commission’s interim report on energy transition and climate adaptation, the ICA highlighted the growing financial impact of natural disasters on the insurance sector.
The organisation reported that insurers have paid out $22.5 billion in natural disaster claims over the past five years, marking a 67% increase from the previous five-year period. Projections suggest that, without enhanced risk mitigation, annual disaster costs could reach $35 billion by 2050.
The ICA’s submission emphasised the need for a national, publicly accessible database of climate risk information. The council argued that current risk data is fragmented, making it difficult for stakeholders to make informed decisions.
The ICA supports the creation of a property-level database to underpin planning, building standards, and targeted mitigation.
The council also called for the development of a national standard for disaster and climate risk, along with a standardised resilience rating system for housing.
The ICA proposed a self-assessment model for resilience ratings, with the option for independent verification when required.
The ICA has also recommended the establishment of a $30.15 billion Flood Defence Fund over 10 years, jointly funded by federal and state governments, to address high-risk flood areas. The fund would support new infrastructure, property upgrades, voluntary buybacks, and enhancements to existing defences.
The council cited analysis indicating that updating the National Construction Code to require more resilient homes could save $4 billion annually.
The ICA also supports a formal role for the Climate Change Authority in monitoring adaptation policy and recommends annual federal budget reporting on both disaster costs and resilience savings.
Additionally, the council has called for a review of insurance taxation – highlighting that state governments collected $7.6 billion in insurance taxes in 2023, compared to $4.6 billion in insurer profits.
