AND WESTERN DISTRICTS ADVERTISER
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THURSDAY 17 August 2023
Email: molongex@bigpond.net.au www.molongexpress.com.au
Inquiry into the response of insurers to natural disasters formalised
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The parliamentary inquiry into the response of insurers to recent natural disasters has been formalised in the Australian Parliament. "It’s interesting that just as I have been pushing for this inquiry the Insurance Council of Australia has hired consulting firm Deloitte to do its own “review”" said Andrew Gee. "They have, apparently, been in Cabonne during the last week." "The Deloitte review is totally separate from the parliamentary inquiry and the two should not be confused." "People are obviously free to make up their Years ago the Lachlan Valley Railway brought visitors to own minds but I’m not having anything to do Molong riding on their wonderful restored steam choofers. with the Insurance Council of Australia/Deloitte review. "To me it’s the big end of town reviewing Hundreds would alight, have lunch in town, visit the shops or the big end of town. I don’t represent the big end take the nightime dinner train out here. The platform was the of town. If I thought their review would result in same - just needed a small ramp (like the ones used to board anything meaningful to help our storm and flood the Sydney ferries). hit residents I would support it". No longer. Even though the platform is now fenced, people "But it looks to me like a box ticking exercise are not now allowed to get off the train. The train above for the insurance industry. How about less visited brimful of passengers over last weekend. They conversation and more action on approving claims?" looked out the window and headed back to Orange. "I’m hoping to get the actual parliamentary We are going to get back on the case. inquiry out to our areas to take evidence soon."
What happened to the station?
Council faces $21 million in flood damage
Cabonne Mayor Kevin Beatty has said the council was facing more than $21 million in flood damage to community assets across Cabonne ($11 million in sporting fields, toilet blocks, playgrounds, parks etcs and a further $10 million in roads, bridges, culverts, infrastructure). "Unfortunately Council's insurers are only prepared to cover $3.5 million (of the $21 million). A similar disparity as faced by residents and business owners across Cabonne. Cr Beatty, state MP Phil Donato and federal MP Andrew Gee have again called for the Community Assets Program and the Home Buyback Scheme to be extended to the Central West. These schemes are allowing severely impacted residents in the Northern Rivers to sell their property to the government and provide funding to fix publicly-owned assets.
"This recovery process is going to take years, so our message would be, please work with us, I know that you are and please keep the support coming," Mr Gee said. In response, the state government said it was still assessing what programs would be made available to the Central West and highlighted budget constraints and federal co-operation as a sticking point. "We're going through a budget process at the moment, we're having a look at a whole range of things, but the reality is we inherited $187 billion in debt " said Planning Minister, Paul Scully. The Planning Minister also said that the NSW Government was working on support programs and currently visiting the region to hear what has and will work best. (Full Story Page 7)
Molong Magpies and Downtown Fitness bring the magic back to the Theatre Molong
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