Our sense of community is never stronger than when we face bad times together.

When the going gets tough, neighbours, friends, and complete strangers rally to support each other.

We rightly celebrate the heroes whose job it is to protect us all – those in the police and emergency services and on the front line in schools and hospitals – as well as the ordinary people who’ve stepped up in extraordinary times.

We know from experience that the Australian spirit has shone through in time of natural disasters such as fires, floods, and the pandemic.

This is particularly salient during bushfire season, which is now upon us. While professional and volunteer firefighters will be out in force if and when disaster happens, we should also consider the steps we can take now to prevent or minimise the impact of fire.

To this end, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has reminded Australians of the need for early bushfire preparation.

Following three consecutive years of La Niña, the Bureau of Meteorology has formally declared an El Niño event, coinciding with severe weather warnings and alerts for large parts of Australia’s south east. 

An El Niño event will increase the chances of record-high temperatures and extreme weather patterns over the next 12 months, particularly in eastern Australia.

El Niño typically leads to more severe heatwaves, heightened bushfire risks, and worsening drought conditions. These were last experienced in the lead-up to the catastrophic 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.

The total insurance damage from this catastrophic event totalled $2.32 billion with close to 39,000 claims lodged.

Since the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires, insurers have paid out more than $16.8 billion in natural disaster claims from 13 declared catastrophes and five significant events.

Here are some preparatory steps that property owners and tenants can take now to reduce the impact of potential bushfires: 

• Inspect your property and take practical steps to reduce risk such as cleaning your gutters, keeping lawns and gardens maintained and cleaning up green waste items around the property. 

• Use a building and contents insurance calculator to ensure your insurance cover adequately covers estimated costs to repair, rebuild or replace home and contents, vehicles and any outbuildings on your property in event of a disaster. 

• Prepare a room-by-room inventory of the contents of your home. This list helps determine if your assets are adequately protected and can save time when making a claim. 

• Review all building, contents, and landlord insurance policies. Make sure you understand what cover you have, as well as any exclusions or limits that may be a part of your insurance policy. It is important to be aware of these exclusions and to query your insurer about any part of a policy you don’t understand. 

• Ensure you are covered now before bushfire threats are heightened, as some insurers may place a temporary embargo on the purchase of new policies if bushfires are imminent. 

ICA Acting CEO Kylie Macfarlane says, “Now is not the time to be complacent when it comes to bushfire preparedness, with El Niño already showing signs of a hot and dry summer.

“The Insurance Council of Australia is urging all property owners, especially those in high-risk areas, to ensure they have adequate insurance to cover the cost of any potential disaster.

“While not all insurers enact coverage embargoes during bushfires or when an area is at risk, property owners must not gamble on their insurance protection.

“We want communities to be better prepared, particularly those that remain vulnerable and are still recovering from the damage and destruction of past catastrophic events.”