A year on, Suncorp boss says questions remain about protecting the flood-prone
Suncorp chief executive Steve Johnston has posed the question: what does Australia do about flood-prone communities when infrastructure no longer protects them?
The floods hit hard in south east Queensland and Lismore. IAAP photo).
Johnston, who has campaigned for several years to get governments to spend more on mitigating the impact of disasters, particularly flooding, said there no longer appeared to be an off-season for disaster and although there had been a shift in government responses there was a need for national Cabinet to show leadership on the issue.
Communities were still crying out for more action, he said.
The disasters have cost Suncorp, which is a major insurer, billions over the years and Johnston said the value of insurance had never been greater but it was facing a big challenge because of affordability.
The east coast floods which hit south east Queensland and across the border in Lismore a year ago led to more than 30,000 claims, most of which had now been settled.
This was particularly the case in north Queensland where many residents have found home insurance to be unaffordable.
“Simply put, after more than a century of allowing people to build in harm’s way, we need to better support those that are paying the emotional and financial price,” he said.
“We need to cut through the tiers of government and for National Cabinet to play a leadership role, driving a national conversation and long-term, stable financing to protect communities now and from a changing climate.
“When infrastructure is simply not enough to reduce the risk, we need to have more tough conversations about the long-term future of some vulnerable communities.”
He said it was important that the right mitigation projects were selected by doing the numbers on the economic, social and environmental benefits.
“Local councils must be central to this as they have invaluable insights, data and understand local context.
“When infrastructure is simply not enough to reduce the risk, we need to have more tough conversations about the long-term future of some vulnerable communities.
“We’re now at a critical juncture.
“The next 12 months will be vital to ensure the momentum is sustained, commitments are turned into action, and the legacy of these floods are not forgotten. As a state and as a nation, we simply cannot afford to miss this opportunity to make 2022 count by ensuring more people are protected from extreme weather both now and well into the future.”
