Be Prepared: Free Insurance Workshops Coming to Goondiwindi Region
Published on 23 October 2024
Goondiwindi Region residents will have the opportunity to attend free insurance workshops and gain practical advice about protecting their homes and businesses this disaster season.
Goondiwindi Regional Council will host the ‘Insurance Essentials’ workshops in Goondiwindi, Inglewood and Texas from 12 – 14 November with Fiona Jago from Resilient Ready. The workshops are supported by joint funding from the Australian and Queensland Governments’ Community Recovery and Resilience program under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and are in response to the confusion around insurance after flooding in our region in 2021.
Fiona will share her story of rebuilding her home and business on Phillip Island after the devasting Black Summer bushfires. Workshop attendees will learn firsthand from Fiona’s experience to ensure their insurance is adequate to protect homes, businesses, or community groups.
The workshops will include approachable advice about the important recovery role of adequate insurance in natural disasters, practical tips on protecting assets with the right coverage, and a guide to understanding insurance policies so you can choose the right one for your needs.
Council is aware of the concerns of many residents about the dramatically increased costs of insurance throughout our region and has made inquiries with the Insurance Council of Australia and the Local Government Association of Queensland who are currently working through the matter. While Council acknowledges that this is an ongoing concern for residents, these workshops are designed to help residents better understand elements of insurance that are within their control and will not cover the issue of rising insurance costs. The timing of the workshops aligns with the run-up to ‘disaster season’, with current Bureau of Meteorology weather models forecasting well-above-average temperatures, frequent storm outbreaks and 70% chance of above-average rain across eastern Australia this coming summer.
Councillor Susie Kelly, Deputy Chair of the Goondiwindi Region Local Disaster Management Group and Chair of the Local Recovery Committee, is encouraging residents to attend and make the most of learning from Fiona’s story.
“These workshops are a fantastic opportunity for our community to learn valuable lessons from someone who has experienced firsthand the importance of having the right insurance,” Cr Kelly said.
“We encourage residents and business owners to attend - regardless of your current insurance coverage,” she said. “Understanding options and having the right protection in place can make the world of difference in the recovery of an unexpected event. Fiona will provide some very practical tips on navigating insurance.
“There are some actions that businesses can take in preparing for a disaster event, such as lifting stock to higher levels or backing up business data to cloud storage, however the reality is that insurance is the only truly tangible thing that we can do to prepare for disasters and that directly supports the recovery process.
“As we experienced through the flooding event in Inglewood in 2021, some people paid good money for insurance, thinking they are covered should the worst happen, only to find out after the fact that were not, or they were of the understanding that insurance wasn’t available to them”
“As a Council we can’t solve people’s insurance problems, but through these workshops we can help them build their confidence in navigating what can be a very complex and overwhelming environment.”
Local insurance providers are welcome to attend. A complimentary BBQ dinner will be provided after each workshop, with the opportunity to further connect with local service providers. If participants have any questions they would like addressed during the workshops, they are welcome to submit these when they register (link below).
- Tuesday 12 November, 5.30 pm Texas Sports Complex
- Wednesday 13 November, 5.30 pm Inglewood Civic Centre
- Thursday 14 November, 5.30 pm Gateway to Training, Goondiwindi