News Archive
2008
2007
2006
2005
Effort Over Home Front
Newcastle Herald
Saturday June 16, 2007
NEW Lambton residents Maria and Warwick Forrest were among the first people to receive insurance payouts for storm damage yesterday, as the Insurance Council of Australia said the damage bill had risen to $280 million from 29,000 claims.
A metre of water surged through the Forrests' Turton Road house, destroying almost all their possessions.Mrs Forrest said NRMA Insurance paid out $40,500 to cover their home contents and damage to her house was being assessed.NRMA Insurance figures show New Lambton was the worst-hit suburb in the storm.The Forrests lodged a claim on Sunday.NRMA Insurance decided to pay all claims and not haggle over whether damage was from a storm or flood.Some insurers have refused to pay claims.NRMA Insurance chief executive officer David Issa, who visited the Forrests yesterday, said the company wanted to "do the right thing"."A massive amount of rain came down and people are devastated," Mr Issa said."We fundamentally believe it was a massive storm that caused all this damage; that's the basis on which we're paying the claims."Mr Issa said NRMA Insurance had fielded 14,000 claims.Mr Forrest, who waded through chest-deep water to escape the flood with his family, urged Newcastle City Council to widen and deepen stormwater drains in the area.INSURANCENRMA claims by suburb:New Lambton 751Merewether 621Hamilton 440Charlestown 333Cardiff 273Warners Bay 260Adamstown 256Broadmeadow 244Kotara 206Edgeworth 177
© 2007 Newcastle Herald
Share This