Yesterday
Cyclone Jasper’s damage bill mounts as rain eases
While rainfall eases in North Queensland, the cost wrought by Cyclone Jasper is rising.
- Updated
- Liam Walsh, Sarah Mitchell and Tess Bennett
This Month
Cancelled holidays hit Queensland tourism operators
Tourism operators around Cairns and Port Douglas are expected to lose $125 million as holidaymakers cancel their summer plans.
- Tess Bennett and Sarah Mitchell
Floods, heavy rain put squeeze on mango, sugarcane crops
The rain appears to be easing from severe floods in North Queensland, but some lingering concerns remain with agriculture.
- Liam Walsh
Cyclone insurance back-up scheme likely off-limits for Qld floods
Insurance companies are unlikely to be able to access a Commonwealth reinsurance project to offset costs of paying out victims of the North Queensland flooding, which could lead to a rise in premiums.
- Updated
- Liam Walsh
NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles resigns
Natasha Fyles has resigned following revelations she holds undisclosed shares in a manganese mine; Westpac warns customers of “intermittent” disruptions. Here’s how the day unfolded.
- Updated
- Gus McCubbing and Lois Maskiell
Deluge swamps Queensland tourist, agriculture zones
Record levels of rain have struck the region and caused one town of 300 people to be evacuated.
- Liam Walsh
Cairns floods break 46-year record, close airport
The state faces days of heavy rain after some areas were hit with totals of more than a metre, the city’s airport shut and water levels passed 1977 highs.
- Updated
- Duncan Murray
Insurers warn of cutting flood cover options or even customers
Insurers have warned some coverage options might have to be changed after devastating floods last year.
- Liam Walsh
Cracks ground RAAF planes as bushfire season looms
Fissures have been found where the tail fins join fuselages on some C-27J Spartan aircraft operated around the world.
- Andrew Tillett
November
- Opinion
- The AFR View
NSW gets it right on emergency services levy
Levying insurance premiums to pay for emergency services was a bad idea. But what about the rest of our ad hoc tax system?
- The AFR View
October
Insurer review uncovers forecast flaws, black-mould blowout
Insurers are in the business of covering risk, but even they didn’t anticipate how bad 2022’s floods would be.
- Liam Walsh
September
Why the world’s giant insurers care about tiny Roma
One change in the Queensland town has effectively reduced insurance risk for the region. It’s a lesson for the rest of Australia battling sky-high premiums.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Satellites that can see through smoke to fight fires this summer
Using Australian locational and building data from Geoscape Finnish satellites will give emergency responders near real-time intelligence on damage and fire path warnings across the country.
- Tom Burton
Insurers behaving badly: who will pay the price?
Bloodied carpets. Repair delays. Sly pricing accusations. While investors warm to insurers, government oversight is rising and crackdowns have struck overseas.
- Liam Walsh
More than 7m homes at risk of flooding: KPMG
A record 7.2 million households live in local government areas hit by floods last year, more than double the average in the past decade.
- Nila Sweeney
Sharks in Australian golf course’s lake spark a warning about floods
A study on the predators in the water hazard at the Carbrook club near Brisbane is being hailed as a cautionary tale as climate change brings more deluges.
- Annie Roth
Insurance claim timeline needs fixing, insurers told
The complaints from customers come amid increasing scrutiny of the handling of insurance claims.
- Liam Walsh
In the mud with Aussies stranded at Burning Man
Freak rains have trapped hundreds of Australians at Nevada’s annual Burning Man festival as they wait for mud to dry.
- Michael Smith and Tess Bennett
One dead, 70,000 stranded in Burning Man festival flood
Revellers have been urged to conserve supplies of food and water while stuck in foot-deep mud with no working toilets in the northern Nevada desert.
- Michael Casey
June
Labor prepays $1.8b in disaster funds with fatter surplus
Labor will prepay 40 per cent of next year’s disaster recovery budget in the latest sign Jim Chalmers is poised to deliver a far larger surplus than forecast.
- Michael Read
