Queensland Targets Lower Insurance Bills with Updated Flood Studies

Fresh flood study data and stronger disaster resilience measures are at the centre of efforts to reduce insurance premiums for regional Queenslanders, following the Queensland Government's second insurance roundtable held in St George.

Representatives from state and local government, the insurance sector, and the National Emergency Management Agency gathered in the south-west Queensland town on 29 April to discuss how updated flood mapping and mitigation investments can lead to fairer insurance pricing.

A key focus of the meeting was the release of new flood studies, which the Queensland Government says should help insurers better assess risk and lower premiums for households and businesses in rural and remote communities.

The roundtable follows an earlier meeting in Charleville in September 2025, where improving the sharing of flood data between councils and insurers was identified as a priority.

Since then, the Queensland Reconstruction Authority has worked with stakeholders to establish a process for transferring updated flood studies and mapping into the National Flood Information Database. In March, data from seven flood studies was supplied to the Insurance Council of Australia with support from local councils and state agencies.

The government also highlighted new resilience and mitigation projects funded across south-west Queensland through the Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Program. These include flood risk management initiatives, floor level surveys, a review of flood warning systems, and upgrades to road floodways in Quilpie Shire.

Minister for Disaster Recovery Ann Leahy said the government was committed to reducing insurance costs by investing in stronger infrastructure and mitigation measures.

She said too many families and businesses were being forced to underinsure or abandon coverage altogether because of rising premiums.

"This roundtable is about presenting the evidence - better data, stronger mitigation, and a clear case for fairer insurance premiums for regional Queensland," she said.

South West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils Chair and Balonne Shire Mayor Samantha O'Toole said local communities had already invested heavily in flood levees and other protective infrastructure.

She said some residents had still seen insurance quotes double each year, with some standard homes receiving premiums above $20,000 despite reduced flood risk.

Mayor O'Toole said the roundtable was an important opportunity to ensure insurers properly recognised local mitigation efforts when determining premiums.

She added that with ongoing cost-of-living pressures, insurers needed to respond fairly to the improved protections now in place.