Insurers, NIBA renew resilience call in submissions to Senate inquiry

IAG and Suncorp have made extensive submissions to a Senate-led disaster resilience inquiry, attaching reports to support their push for greater mitigation and other measures to address future catastrophes.

The National Insurance Brokers Association also made a submission, saying mitigation is an important part of long-term risk reduction.

Suncorp says it welcomes the Senate committee’s focus on the ongoing capacity and capability of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as a “workforce model” to be deployed during natural disaster events.

“This is an important issue and we look forward to the Committee’s recommendations regarding the adequacy of the current model and its consideration of alternative models,” the Suncorp submission says.

The submission says the Committee’s focus on natural hazard resilience comes at a “crucial point in time” after the recent floods and other disasters.

“We have an opportunity here and now to build momentum for real change – and the Committee can help steer this in the right direction by providing Parliamentary oversight.”

Suncorp attached a December report on resilience planning as part of its submission. The report prepared by Norton Rose Fulbright recommends that the National Committee considers disaster

resilience a first order priority through establishing a National Cabinet Reform Committee on Disaster Resilience.

“Governments have been forced to consider what more can be done, but there is still considerable confusion over which arms and tiers of government are responsible,” the report says. “There have

been calls for greater collaboration, swifter and broader use of the defence force and national consistency when it comes to governance in dealing with natural disasters.”

IAG says in its submission a key step to improving community resilience and response to a natural hazard event is to ensure that no new developments are built in harm’s way.

“Land planning and building codes must reviewed and reformed to ensure this. In the short term this might look like the creation of a national standard for building in areas at high risk of natural hazards or it could require all new developments to consider and report on natural hazard and climate risk,” the submission says.

“If new buildings are not required to consider the natural disaster risks, they face now and into the future, then any savings achieved by mitigating one community could be eroded by a new or emerging risk.”

The insurer says it is preparing research that can support the deliberations of National Cabinet, which is conducting a review into land use planning with a view to preventing building in high-risk areas.

IAG attached a report on national flood hazard mitigation priorities as part of its submission. The report prepared by environment and planning advisory Rhelm was completed in April last year.

IAG says the report aims to assist with decision making in where and how mitigation funding is best spent.

The Senate Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience is to present a final report by the last sitting day in September and is taking submissions on an ongoing basis.

Click here for more information on the inquiry.