Insurers get 11,800 claims, and rising

ESTIMATES on insurance losses from the North Queensland floods are rising.

Yesterday the Insurance Council of Australia said insurers had received 11,800 claims lodged, with insurance losses estimated at $147 million.

Already $13.2 million has been paid in cash to assist with emergency accommodation and essentials.

Insurance council spokesman Campbell Fuller said the number of claims and estimated losses would continue to rise as householders and small businesspeople examined the damage and contacted their insurers or insurance brokers to lodge claims.

“The Insurance Council of Australia reassures Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and state and federal MPS that the insurance industry is pouring resources into the region to help local policyholders,” Mr Fuller said.

“Scores of assessors, claims specialists and disaster recovery experts have already been deployed, and more are flying in this week.”

He said the insurance council and insurance representatives were available to meet policyholders in the recovery centre.

Meanwhile, insurer Youi said its assessors were on the ground in Townsville ready to help customers.

Youi’s chief operating officer for claims, Jason Storey, said claims were continuing to be lodged but the full extent of the damage was yet to be realised.