They say prevention is better than cure – in the world of risk, this adage translates into knowing what you’re up against in order to be prepared, and general insurance giant IAG is assisting Australians to do just that when it comes to catastrophic bushfire events.
In an effort to help educate the country as bushfire seasons get longer and more severe, IAG has released two new bushfire fact sheets. Both can be accessed via the insurance group’s website.
One of the fact sheets explains the so-called bushfire attack levels and what they mean for rebuilding post-event. It also cites bushfire causes, as well as how to ensure that one has appropriate coverage in place.
The other fact sheet examines how bushfire risk is changing both across the country and throughout the seasons. The trends were collated by the natural perils team at IAG, which at the same time is looking at ways the insurer can aid in risk mitigation.
“We see the impacts of natural disasters firsthand, and the suffering of people and communities last summer was heartbreaking,” said Mark Leplastrier, IAG’s executive manager for natural perils. “We want to do everything we can to help people understand the risks they face to help them prepare for the future.”
Leplastrier stressed that the underlying trend is that all parts of Australia will eventually see an increase in bushfire risk, albeit at different times.
He went on to state: “It’s important that people understand the risks they face so they can make the right decisions about where they choose to live, how to reduce their risk, and how they prepare for a bushfire if they are in a high-risk area.”
According to IAG, the local government areas with the highest bushfire risk in New South Wales are Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Sutherland Shire, Wollongong, and Wollondilly. In Queensland, these are Brisbane, Gold Coast, Logan, Moreton Bay, and Sunshine Coast.
In South Australia, the high-risk areas are Adelaide Hills, Grant, Naracoorte Lucindale, Tea Tree Gully, and Wattle Range; Tasmania: Clarence City, Glenorchy City, Hobart City, Huon Valley, and Kingborough; Victoria: Cardinia, Macedon Ranges, Mornington Peninsula, Murrindindi, and Yarra Ranges; and Western Australia: Armadale, Busselton, Kalamunda, Rockingham, and Wanneroo.
