NSW: NSW floods sparks debate on insurance companies role

AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-1998
NSW: NSW floods sparks debate on insurance companies role

By Janine O'Neill

SYDNEY, AAP - Devastating floods raged through New South Wales this year, forcing hundreds
of people from their homes and whipping up a storm over disputed insurance claims.

Protesters targeted insurance firms after the Wollongong storms in August, condemning
agencies who refused to cover policyholders for damage.

The agencies claimed the homes were damaged by flood water, which is not covered by their
policies, rather than by storm water, which is.

Following intense public pressure many claims arising from the Wollongong floods were
settled and insurers are still under pressure to pay out the remaining claims.

At least three companies have agreed to compensate policyholders for home and content
insurance claims from the August storms.

Aside from monetary losses, thousands of people were evacuated from their homes throughout
the state during the height of the August floods and during wild storms and flooding in June
and July.

On just one day, August 8, up to 700 people fled their homes at Bathurst in central western
NSW as one of the the worst floods in their recorded history threatened to swamp the region.

Floodwaters in the state's northwest, central northwest and central west, threatened
hundreds of homes and properties.

Some towns were isolated by four rounds of floods for up to two months.

Bureau of Meteorology figures showed the rain that soaked NSW in August had set a new
record for that month.

Wollongong was the worst hit, totalling 763.6mm for the month - almost double the previous
record of 373.4mm in 1974.

Bureau spokesman Steve Symonds said Sydney had its wettest August in 120 years, receiving
482.6mm - the highest level since records were kept in 1878.

The figure was 12mm more than the previous highest level of 470.6mm for 1986.

Preliminary figures for that month showed more than 30 cities and towns in the Sydney
metropolitan area, the Illawarra and the Central West exceeded the highest rainfall ever
recorded for the month of August.

They included: Croppa Creek and Yetham on the north western slopes, Bogan Gate, Tottenham,
Girilambone, Narromine, Trangie and Warren on the central plains, Boggabilla on the
north-western plains and Norah Head in the Hunter region.

The highest August rainfall in the Sydney metropolitan area included: Cronulla south,
Frenchs Forest, Gordon, Mosman, Riverview, Rose Bay, Sydney Airport and Berowra.

In the Illawarra, record levels were taken in Berry, Bowral, Darkes Forest, Greenwell
Point, Kiama, Moss Vale, Nowra and Wollongong.

On the south coast, Bodalla, Merimbula, Milton, Moruya Heads and Narooma; the southern
tablelands, Cooma and Yass and in the Riverina, Gubbata.

Some properties near Wee Waa and Walgett were isolated for three months by the swollen
Namoi River.

Lightning Ridge, Narrabri and Mungindi were among the other communities hit by the floods.

New South Wales Premier Bob Carr declared both the Hunter Valley areas and Wollongong
disaster areas throughout August.

Wollongong was declared a disaster area on August 18 after the region was deluged with six
months rainfall - up to 68 centimetres - in just 24 hours.

The State Emergency Service (SES) estimates the final damages bill from the winter storms,
which began in July and continued throughout August, would be in the tens of millions of
dollars.

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KEYWORD: YEARENDER FLOODS NSW

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