New council plan could send 20,000 Aussies insurance premiums through the roof

Corrie Chabau had conscionable renewed his location security erstwhile nan missive arrived past week.

Printed nether a crisp assembly letterhead were specifications of updated flood consequence mapping that could nonstop his already costly premium done nan roof.

But Chabau is 1 of nan fortunate ones; immoderate of his neighbours' homes could beryllium rendered uninsurable nether nan projected changes.

Logan City Council is moving connected a caller municipality scheme that includes updated flood consequence mapping arsenic required by nan Queensland government.

Two rivers and almost 90 creeks tally done nan region, which has knowledgeable terrible flooding arsenic precocious arsenic 2022.

"This risk-based mapping considers a scope of floods, from communal to highly rare, and their imaginable impact," Mayor Jon Raven told 9news.com.au.

"We can't extremity floods but we tin amended understand and scheme for them."

The caller mapping published arsenic portion of nan draught municipality scheme past week identified areas of low, mean and precocious flood risk.

About 20,000 letters were sent retired to residents pinch properties successful mean and high-risk areas successful precocious August.

Chabau, who has lived successful Logan for much than 13 years, was 1 of them.

But he said nan caller mapping doesn't bespeak his acquisition of floods successful nan area, particularly connected his ain property.

"I get stormwater runoff successful nan backmost of my spot ... but that's stormwater," he said.

"That's not stream flooding.

"Even done Cyclone Debbie, erstwhile we had 400mm successful 20 hours, by nan adjacent day, you would not moreover cognize we had nan rain.

He fears nan caller flood mapping will do much harm than bully by making location security premiums spike.

More than half a cardinal Australian homes are astatine high consequence of becoming uninsurable for flood harm by 2030, according to a 2024 Climate Valuation report.

And 13 suburbs were identified arsenic "black zone" suburbs wherever much than 80 per cent of homes consequence becoming uninsurable by 2030.

Those achromatic area suburbs included Tweed Heads South and Chinderah, little than 2 hours distant from Logan by car.

One successful 5 homes will also person vulnerability to immoderate level of riverine flooding by 2030, which could impact security premiums.

Since moving to Logan successful nan early 2010s, Chabau's premium has skyrocketed to much than $5000 a year.

The costs jumped by $1200 astatine his past renewal.

By comparison, nan mean costs for location and contents security successful Queensland is $2735 according to Canstar, almost half of what Chabau now pays.

Some Logan residents claimed they had been quoted $17,000 to much than $30,000 for location security based connected nan caller flood mapping.

Others fearfulness their homes will go uninsurable for flood damage.

And anyone looking to waste could look caller challenges successful ray of nan changes.

"A batch of group are furious astir it," Chabau said.

"They've conscionable destroyed everyone's livelihoods.

"All nan houses are fundamentally worthy thing now, and we can't insure them."

He said that if his location security hits 5 digits, he whitethorn person to tally nan consequence of going uninsured, arsenic he simply can't spend nan cost.

Raven, nan Logan City mayor, responded to these concerns by telling 9news.com.au assembly has "no control" complete security premiums.

"While flood consequence whitethorn beryllium a consideration, location are galore factors driving up nan worth of premiums crossed nan country, not conscionable successful Logan," he said.

Council has begun nationalist consultation connected its draught municipality plan, which will tally for 9 weeks until October 31.

It is holding much than 50 engagement events and inviting submissions from residents successful consequence to nan updated flood consequence mapping.

Each submission will beryllium reviewed and utilized to pass a consultation report, which will beryllium provided to nan Queensland authorities pinch nan updated municipality scheme adjacent year.

"The Logan Plan will beryllium refined based connected feedback wherever appropriate, noting location are important legislative and argumentation constraints successful this process," Ryan added.

But Chabau said that moreover if nan mapping is changed, nan harm has been done.

"The insurers spell 'well, it says present that it mightiness flood' and nan premiums won't ever travel down. It's conscionable going to destruct everyone."

Last night, a meeting was held successful Logan to talk nan projected changes.

"To opportunity nan spot was packed would beryllium an understatement," Chabau said.

He claimed nan gathering was tense and said he and different residents were unhappy pinch nan council's consequence to questions astir nan caller mapping and security implications.

"The worst portion was arsenic I was stepping in, I heard a very aged mates say, 'We are going to suffer everything because of this,'" he added.

"How situation they origin this accent connected each these people?"

Have you sewage a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at mleach@nine.com.au

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