General insurance and financial services news from Australia and around the worldhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/en-auhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/suncorp-explored-every-other-option-before-quitting-tobacco-shopshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/suncorp-explored-every-other-option-before-quitting-tobacco-shops<p>Suncorp stopped providing insurance to tobacconist clients last year, a federal parliamentary inquiry has heard...</p>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 04:55:54 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/insurer-ad-budgets-blow-out-as-consumers-shop-aroundhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/insurer-ad-budgets-blow-out-as-consumers-shop-around<p>Insurance advertising spending grew 11% last year as the Australian market entered a &ldquo;sharper contest for value-conscious consumers&rdquo;, market research group Nielsen says...</p>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 04:45:29 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/nz-catastrophe-scheme-secures-record-reinsurancehttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/nz-catastrophe-scheme-secures-record-reinsurance<p>New Zealand&rsquo;s natural peril insurance scheme says it is &ldquo;better placed to respond&rdquo; after securing a record $NZ12.3 billion ($10.17 billion) in reinsurance for the next year...</p>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 04:45:23 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/ombudsman-issues-hail-damage-complaints-guidehttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/ombudsman-issues-hail-damage-complaints-guide<p>Complaints about roof repairs and broken solar panels feature in a new hail damage external dispute resolution response guide from the industry ombudsman...</p>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 04:45:09 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/ica-icnz-join-forces-for-resilience-pushhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/ica-icnz-join-forces-for-resilience-push<p>The Australian and New Zealand insurance councils will co-ordinate advocacy efforts and share expertise under a formal arrangement aiming to improve regional resilience...</p>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 04:45:01 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/investments-dent-industry-profithttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/investments-dent-industry-profit<p>The general insurance industry&rsquo;s earnings fell steeply in the March quarter while the householders line narrowed its losses, according to Australian Prudential Regulation Authority data...</p>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:59:38 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/don-t-just-blame-your-staff-for-code-breacheshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/don-t-just-blame-your-staff-for-code-breaches<p>The General Insurance Code Governance Committee says insurers must prioritise data to find the underlying causes of breaches, rather than just blaming staff...</p>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:36:05 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/commonwealth-files-2-billion-suit-over-forever-chemicalshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/commonwealth-files-2-billion-suit-over-forever-chemicals<p>The federal government has launched a landmark legal bid for $2 billion in damages over contamination clean-ups linked to firefighting foams...</p>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:35:23 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/firebomb-victim-sees-best-side-of-people-during-recovery-efforthttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/firebomb-victim-sees-best-side-of-people-during-recovery-effort<p>A hospitality business owner has praised his broker and insurer for providing a &ldquo;seamless&rdquo; claims process after his drinks warehouse was gutted in an arson attack...</p>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:31:43 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/perils-lifts-november-storms-loss-tallyhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/perils-lifts-november-storms-loss-tally<p>Storms that hit Queensland and NSW last November caused insured losses of $2.94 billion, Swiss data company Perils estimates...</p>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:31:28 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/text-alerts-siren-sounds-to-signal-emergency-warning-trialhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/text-alerts-siren-sounds-to-signal-emergency-warning-trial<p>The new AusAlert national warning system that sends texts about bushfire, flood and cyclone threats will be tested across Australia on July 27...</p>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:31:15 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/fm-maps-hail-threat-as-losses-mounthttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/fm-maps-hail-threat-as-losses-mount<p>Commercial property insurer FM has launched a global hail hazard map in response to rising losses...</p>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:30:54 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/insurers-to-revisit-storm-hit-cliftonhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/insurers-to-revisit-storm-hit-clifton<p>The industry will hold another claims support session in the Queensland town of Clifton next month, to help customers affected by a hailstorm last November...</p>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:30:42 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/new-chair-for-natural-hazards-researchhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/new-chair-for-natural-hazards-research<p>Barrister Dominique Hogan-Doran is the new chair of Natural Hazards Research Australia...</p>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:30:04 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/ica-suggests-cure-for-mental-strain-on-workers-comphttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/ica-suggests-cure-for-mental-strain-on-workers-comp<p>Insurers have called for legislative reform and claims handling improvements to address growing cost pressures on workers&rsquo; compensation schemes...</p>Mon, 25 May 2026 04:40:49 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/liquidated-builder-wins-damages-from-roof-subcontractorhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/liquidated-builder-wins-damages-from-roof-subcontractor<p>Insurance restoration company AJ Grant Building, which entered liquidation last year, has won $202,820 for breach of contract by one of its subcontractors...</p>Mon, 25 May 2026 04:40:42 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/hospital-authority-charged-after-patient-attacks-nursehttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/hospital-authority-charged-after-patient-attacks-nurse<p>A Victorian hospital faces charges after a nurse was seriously assaulted by a patient with a history of violence...</p>Mon, 25 May 2026 04:40:35 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/travellers-play-safe-on-medical-tourism-study-showshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/travellers-play-safe-on-medical-tourism-study-shows<p>Australians heading overseas for medical procedures are now more likely to have travel cover, research from Insure&amp;Go shows...</p>Mon, 25 May 2026 04:40:23 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/anziif-chief-flags-federal-budget-limitationshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/anziif-chief-flags-federal-budget-limitations<p>Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance CEO Katrina Shanks says there were &ldquo;some tangible wins&rdquo; in the federal budget &ndash; but its &ldquo;limitations are just as important&rdquo;...</p>Mon, 18 May 2026 04:44:21 GMThttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/libs-flag-new-tax-fears-over-state-esl-removalhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/libs-flag-new-tax-fears-over-state-esl-removal<p>NSW shadow treasurer Scott Farlow says the opposition is &ldquo;very concerned&rdquo; about the planned removal of the state&rsquo;s emergency services levy...</p>Mon, 18 May 2026 04:43:04 GMT