Roundtable seeks action on insurance premiums

More affordable premium pricing for regional communities was the focus of the Queensland’s Government’s second insurance roundtable held this week in the outback town of St George. 

Representatives from the Queensland Government, south-west councils, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the insurance industry gathered to discuss efforts to apply downward pressure on home and business insurance prices.

Delegates to the roundtable heard how work to build flood resilience in rural and remote Queensland should be better reflected in the price of policies.

A key item on the agenda was the sharing of new flood study data to provide a clearer picture of flood risk and strengthen advocacy for fairer pricing from insurers.

Sharing the data builds on a commitment made during the first insurance roundtable held in Charleville in September 2025.

Following that event, the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) led a working group to streamline the integration of updated flood study data into the National Flood Information Database.

In March 2026, seven recently completed flood studies, produced by councils and the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development, were provided to the Insurance Council of Australia. 

Significant investments in flood mitigation projects are also expected to further push the case for reduced insurance premiums throughout regional Queensland.

This includes key initiatives for the south-west funded through the Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Program such as new flood studies and floor level surveys, upgrades to the region's flood warning system, and the strengthening of floodways in Quilpie Shire. 

Together these projects aim to further address flood risks and provide long-term security to residents in areas susceptible to severe weather events.

Despite major investment in community flood resilience and risk mitigation from all three levels of government, households in regional Queensland continue to cop exorbitant insurance prices, with premiums in some areas doubling annually.

The Queensland Government, led by QRA, will continue to encourage insurers to recognise the important work being done throughout the state to lessen risk and increase resilience, with the goal of achieving a fairer deal on insurance for all Queenslanders.