Australia hailstorms declared catastrophe by Insurance Council

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has declared a catastrophe for damage caused by hailstorms that struck eastern Melbourne, the Australian Capital Territory and parts of New South Wales on Sunday and Monday.

Insurers have received more than 29,000 claims (56 per cent from the ACT, 34 per cent from Victoria and 10 per cent from NSW). Losses are estimated at $320 million ($219million). About two-thirds of claims are for damage to motor vehicles.

ICA head of risk and operations Karl Sullivan said insurers would prioritise claims from hail-affected areas and were already advising customers about assessments and repairs.
He expected thousands of additional claims would be lodged this week as property owners inspected damage and contacted their insurers.

“Property owners should contact their insurer before commissioning any repairs to their homes or business to ensure these works are paid for under their policy,” he said.

Under the catastrophe declaration the ICA has activated its disaster hotline to assist customers who have general inquiries about the claims process and established an industry taskforce to address and identify issues that arise, and work directly with emergency services, agencies and the government.