Arabic version: أصحاب المنازل في إنغهام يواجهون ارتفاع تكاليف التأمين

According to ABC News, homeowners in north Queensland are struggling to secure or afford insurance as the region continues recovering from severe flooding in February 2025. Some Ingham policyholders say their cover was not renewed after the floods, while others have faced substantial premium increases ahead of another wet season.

Michelle Yates, whose farmhouse is near Ingham, said repairs to her kitchen and water-damaged floors were still unfinished nearly two years after the event. She said a 15-month insurance payout negotiation and shortages of trades had slowed the work. Sure Insurance cancelled her policy after the flooding, she said, and one alternative insurer quoted $28,000 for a year of cover.

Sure Insurance said it covered one in four insured properties in Ingham and reviewed its underwriting guidelines regularly to determine whether it could provide ongoing cover at a fair price. Non-renewal notices viewed by ABC said the insurer would not offer insurance where a property had made a flood claim in the past five years or faced a one-in-20-year flood risk.

Ingham broker Kieran Volpe said quotes of $10,000, $15,000 and $20,000 were common in high-risk flood areas, leaving some residents without cover. Matthew Porter said his Allianz policy premium rose 72 per cent at renewal after he bought a home that had suffered superficial flood damage in 2025. Allianz said premiums needed to reflect growing weather risks and claims costs.

The Insurance Council of Australia said the floods produced $327 million in insured losses and some claims were still being negotiated. It said insurance remained available in Ingham, but premiums in repeatedly flood-exposed areas reflected the risk. A Hinchinbrook Shire Council survey of 305 respondents found 77 per cent were struggling to afford premiums, with Mayor Ramon Jayo calling for governments to examine the issue closely.