We’re working to gather information as it is released from local councils so we can understand what it means for you and your home insurance claim. At this stage in the process, we understand the following:
- If your home is assessed and confirmed as being in a Category 1 Low Risk area, repairs to the reinstatement condition are sufficient to manage future severe weather event risk. This means your home can be repaired to the same standard and specifications it was in prior to the cyclone and there is no impact to your claim.
- If your home is assessed and confirmed as being in a Category 2 Managed Risk area, additional community or property-level intervention may be required to incorporate preventative measures to manage any potential future risk. This may include, for example, improving drainage or raising properties to limit the impact of flooding. It’s important to note that your AA Insurance Home Insurance Policy only provides cover to repair or rebuild your home to the reinstatement condition. This means any intervention or improvements to manage future risk is not covered under your policy. If you wish to repair your home to an improved standard or rebuild your home differently to manage potential future risk, please contact us to discuss settling your claim with a cash settlement. If you wish to discuss any repairs that are currently underway while the consultation process is ongoing, please get in touch with your Customer Manager and they will talk this through with you.
- If your home is assessed and confirmed as being in a Category 3 High Risk area, this means repairs to your home or rebuilding your home on the same site cannot progress due to the risk of future impacts from severe weather events. In this instance, your claim will be cash settled and your customer manager will work with you to determine your settlement. You can find the full details of how we settle claims in your policy document, in the section How we will settle your claim. If you wish to discuss any repairs that are currently underway while the consultation process is ongoing, please get in touch with your Customer Manager and they will be able to talk this through with you.
We’re keeping up to date with information as it is shared and can assure you that we’ll do all we can within our policy limits. Where possible, we will work with any relevant local council and government agencies to understand the options available for your home. We’re committed to keeping you informed every step of the way.
If you’d like more information on the categorisation and consultation process, please contact your local council. If you would like more information on what these risk categories could mean for your home and/or contents insurance policy and cover, you can read more here.