By Tyler Wright
Residents throughout the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley affected by last year’s storm event are able to attend in-person meetings with insurers on Wednesday 17 August.
Between 12:00pm and 8:00pm, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) and insurers including Allianz, Suncorp and Youi will be at the Montrose Town Centre Community Room to discuss the progress of customer’s claims and work through outstanding issues.
Matt and Nicole Gardner have not been able to live in their Avonsleigh home since October 2021 after a heavy storm left their home damaged.
The Gardner family, who are having their claim dealt with RACV, are still in the process of having their home rebuilt.
While Matt will mostly likely not be able to attend the meeting due to work commitments, he would like to know if insurance companies will look to work with governments and council to find ways the permit process can be expedited for displaced residents.
The claims cost for the June 2021 severe storm event is $310.4 million and more than 93.4 per cent of the 34,300 claims lodged now closed.
ICA CEO Andrew Hall said the ICA and the insurers will be in Montrose to help customers impacted by last year’s destructive extreme weather finalise their claims.
“In-person meetings are an opportunity for customers to talk to their insurer about the specific details of their claim and the insurance process,” Mr Hall said.
Representatives from the Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC) and the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) will also be in attendance.
ECLC CEO Michael Smith said the organisation has been an “integral part” in storm response and has assisted over 80 residents with legal advice and navigating legal processes.
“We know these problems are long-term and we remain available when legal help is needed,” Mr Smith said.
“To date, ECLC’s recovery support has included physical and virtual recovery hubs, and implementing a legal help checklist, used widely by recovery partners. ECLC also continues to assist residents on a number of issues following the storms, including insurance, tree damage, rent payments, family violence, family law, consumer matters and Centrelink.”
As of Monday 8 August, the AFCA has received a total of 99 complaints related to the 2021 storms.
The largest issue for complainants was ‘denial of a claim because of a policy exclusion or condition,’ which was brought up in 40 per cent of complaints.
This was followed by 20 per cent of complaints which disputed the delay in claim handling, and 15 per cent which took issue with the claim amount.
The top three most commonly complained about products were home building insurance, home contents insurance and finally commercial property insurance, holding 73 per cent, 10 per cent and six per cent of the total complaints respectively.
“Where complaints have been upheld, AFCA has so far ordered firms to pay just over $483,000 in compensation and refunds. However, some 23 complaints to AFCA in relation to the storms remain open at this time,” an AFCA spokesperson said.
For customers looking to book an appointments with an insurer at the Montrose Town Centre Community Room, bookings are essential.
To book, visit insurancecouncil.com.au/YarraRangesConsultations.
The Montrose Town Centre is located at 935 Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd, Montrose.
