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SBS Australia
5 days ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
'Going to get worse': Why Sam's dream home came with a $30,000 insurance dilemma
Sam Halloran (left) with his father Leigh, outside their flood damaged home in Glenthorne, NSW. Source: SBS News Sam Halloran wanted to raise his son in the house his father Leigh raised him in. But their dream turned to a nightmare as the biggest flood in living memory tore through their community in May. The Manning River rose so quickly that Sam, his wife and two-year-old son became trapped on the second level of their riverside home just outside the Taree CBD, in Glenthorne, NSW. His wife and son were airlifted to safety by helicopter, in a dramatic rescue Sam filmed from their balcony. "It was a big ordeal," Sam told SBS News. "My wife and son were airlifted by PolAir first. Then they came back and got my roommate who's been living downstairs with us. "They were going to take me as well, but they couldn't take our two dogs.' On Facebook Sam wrote of the rescue: "Probably the most traumatic thing I've ever endured having to restrain my beautiful two year old son in this bag screaming while his mum was being lifted up and pass him onto the roof to be lifted into the air with her." Sam said he decided to stay and wait for a State Emergency Service boat. "They eventually did come. They came and got me with the two dogs," he said. "There was a moment there where we thought we might not get the dogs out, so when that did happen, it was quite a relief." Sam said he launched straight into the cleanup and hasn't fully processed being rescued and coming back to a house left ruined by floodwater, mud and debris. Sam's two-year-old son has been having nightmares about the helicopter rescue, he said. "I've got to be here [for the cleanup], but it's getting harder to get out of bed." Protecting Sam's dream home and his young family's future was put at a very high price. "We had one insurance company that would have insured us, but it was over $30,000 a year, which we couldn't afford,' Sam said. The quote provided to Sam in August last year, seen by SBS News, shows the annual premium for standard building and contents insurance on their home was priced at $29,817.91. Insurance premiums in the area soared out of reach for most after floods in 2021. This year in the Manning Valley, the flood reached more than a metre higher than four years ago, so the insurance problem is only expected to worsen. "There's going to be people that were insured that won't be insured moving forward," Sam said. Leigh, Sam's father, says he purchased insurance on the same home in 2002. "I think I paid about $700 to insure the house. Yes, it was 20 years ago, but it's not comparable, is it?" Leigh said. "Insurance companies, sure, they're there to make a profit. I understand that. They wouldn't exist without profit. "But at the end of the day, they're putting premiums up far beyond the average household's budget." The Hallorans said they'd only heard of one person in the area who was insured, but their premium was still over $10,000 a year. On their street, they didn't know of anyone able to afford the exorbitant premiums. "No one in this entire street has flood insurance because they are all quoted around the $30,000 mark," Leigh said. In April, financial comparison site Canstar published its analysis of average annual premiums for home and contents insurance across Australia. In NSW, the average combined policy costs $2,210, based on homes valued between $300,000 and $1.5 million with $50,000 in contents cover. The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the recent NSW floods an 'insurance catastrophe', with nearly 8,000 claims processed as of Saturday. Up to 10,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed, with more than 800 already declared uninhabitable. During a visit to Taree on Tuesday, SBS News asked Insurance Council of Australia CEO Andrew Hall whether he would support reforms to assist people who can't afford to insure their properties or businesses in flood zones. "When we see that happen and particularly in events like we're going through here at the moment, it underscores the point that we have been making now for a number of years to government," Hall said. "Insurance prices [relate to] the risk, and we know that in Australia there are around 220,000 homes that are built in high-risk flood zones like where we are right now. "We need to come up with a flood defence fund that can better flood-proof those properties, that can lift the home out of harm's way and, worst-case scenario, we may have to look at buybacks." Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, also speaking in Taree on Tuesday, acknowledged "there are longer-term issues that need to be looked at" to address the insurance problem. "We recognise that people are doing it really tough. I've said that more support is going to be needed," Albanese said. "We expect insurance companies to do right by their customers and swiftly process claims. They've set up an office here so that they can be dealt with swiftly. "But our focus now is on the cleanup and recovery from this event. That's our focus, the immediate needs." Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain also told ABC's RN Breakfast program on Wednesday that insurance in flood-prone areas was a "significant concern". "We know for a number of the businesses and the farms that we spoke to, they either haven't been offered insurance or insurance was too expensive for them to take up," McBain said. She said she and Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino would be having direct discussions with insurance companies and the Insurance Council. Sam Halloran told SBS News that the immediate relief provided by the federal government wasn't proportionate to the scale of the cleanup and recovery facing the community. "Seventy people from the [Australian Defence Force] … we've had more volunteers than that just in our street alone in the last week, so I don't know what 70 ADF members are supposed to do," he said. "I've got people here working that have run their own businesses, they're sole operators, and they've donated their time to help me. "We need machinery. At my place alone, there is something like 400 trucks worth of silt to get rid of." A few doors down from the Hallorans, Daryl Hammond owns a farm. His main business is producing feed. The seasonal nature of his business, he says, means insurance is nearly impossible for him to get. "I can't insure anything because last month I had over 1,000 bales of silage. Come the end of July, August, I might have 50. How can I insure something like that?" Hammond told SBS News last week. "I'd be onto the broker every second day. It would cost me $20,000 [to] $30,000 a year just to have everything insured if I could insure it. And, I mean, mostly [the insurance companies] just shake their head." For Hammond, the Hallorans and their neighbours, they want to see change. The community wants to keep living where they have deep roots and connections, but also wants a way to protect their future. "Houses like this are not a river frontage, there is a farm between us and the river. At the end of the day, yes, it's in a flood zone, but [the insurance] is becoming unfathomable," Leigh Halloran said. "Sam spent his teenage years here. It's a great community. Everyone just gets on perfectly, and it was a great place for him to grow up, and he wants to raise his son in this community, you know? Which is really, really nice." Sam Halloran says it's impossible to predict what Mother Nature is going to do, but all levels of government need to work harder to prevent the impact of disasters on regional communities. "The 100-year flood development control in our local council area is, at the moment, 5.2 metres," he said. "Anyone building a new house had to have a floor level of 5.7 metres. This flood was nearly 6.5 metres. So, someone could have built a brand-new house close to the river, had full insurance and still had this water through the house. 'It's something that we can't control. You can't not live near the river." Sam says with the level of damage seen in the homes and businesses of Taree, insuring "is going to get worse, not better".
Sky News AU
28-05-2025
- Sky News AU
Man, 25, arrested after accused of firing shots at occupied home, sparking emergency in Queensland town of Kingaroy
A man has sparked a major emergency in a small Queensland town after he allegedly shot at an occupied home in what police suspect to be a domestic violence incident. Police were called to Kingaroy, some 220 kilometres west of the Sunshine Coast, to reports of gunshots fired at an Arthur Street property on Tuesday just before 4am. A number of people inside at the time escaped safely before officers arrived. Police in response launched a search for the gunman involving tactical officers from the Special Emergency Response Team and the PolAir chopper to scan from above. Investigators took precautionary measures to protect the community, locking down Kingaroy Hospital while Saint Mary's Catholic College students did not attend school. Speaking at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Darling Downs District Officer Superintendent Doug McDonald said they identified the shooter "very early on". The man was able to evade police for several hours but was arrested about 1.30pm. When he was apprehended he was found with "a number of high-powered rifles" that were stolen some 24 hours earlier during a break and enter, police will allege. At least one man and woman were inside the home at the time of the shooting. Supt McDonald said it the incident may be domestic violence-related. "That female person is safe and well and has received treatment and support from the police throughout this incident," he told reporters. The gunman had first been sighted fleeing in a Suzuki, but he was caught later in a Subaru which police will allege was stolen while he was evading officers. "So, we had been in touch with this particular person of interest attempting to get him to come into the police station peacefully and he's failed to undertake those instructions that we've given him to do that," Supt McDonald said. No physical injuries have been reported in the incidents. Supt McDonald would not weigh into the circumstances surrounding the man's possession of the firearms but stressed it can be "very dangerous" in the wrong hands. "We treat it very seriously and whilst not making any suggestions as to insecure firearms in this instance, it is a reminder of the importance of people adequately securing their weapons," he said to a reporter who asked about locking up guns. The 25-year-old from the South Burnett region - who police had hoped to speak to prior to the alleged shooting incident - was wanted "on a number of matters". There is no ongoing threat to the community. Police spent the day speaking to the man and the two occupants of the home. Anyone with information or may have dash cam or CCTV footage is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at
The Advertiser
24-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Man allegedly fleeing officers impales leg on fence at Elermore Vale: Police
A man accused of leading police on a car chase through Wallsend on Friday night was arrested after falling from a fence, allegedly running from officers, and impaling his leg. Police say they tried to stop a Kia Rio at Metcalfe Street at about 11.40pm and when it failed to pull over, they gave chase until they lost sight of the vehicle. Newcastle Highway Patrol officers re-engaged a short time later, as officers deployed road spikes, but lost sight of the car again until it was found crashed and abandoned in Elermore Parade just after midnight. Police called in help from the dog squad and PolAir, and set up a perimeter around the vehicle, eventually finding the man on Cambronne Parade at Elermore Vale where he allegedly fled on foot. Police say he fell while climbing a wooden fence and impaled his calf. Firefighters were called to cut the man down and officers provided immediate first aid until paramedics arrived and took the man to John Hunter Hospital under police guard. When he was released, he was taken to Waratah Police Station where he was charged with two counts of police pursuit and driving while disqualified. He was expected to face Paramatta Local Court on Sunday, May 25. A man accused of leading police on a car chase through Wallsend on Friday night was arrested after falling from a fence, allegedly running from officers, and impaling his leg. Police say they tried to stop a Kia Rio at Metcalfe Street at about 11.40pm and when it failed to pull over, they gave chase until they lost sight of the vehicle. Newcastle Highway Patrol officers re-engaged a short time later, as officers deployed road spikes, but lost sight of the car again until it was found crashed and abandoned in Elermore Parade just after midnight. Police called in help from the dog squad and PolAir, and set up a perimeter around the vehicle, eventually finding the man on Cambronne Parade at Elermore Vale where he allegedly fled on foot. Police say he fell while climbing a wooden fence and impaled his calf. Firefighters were called to cut the man down and officers provided immediate first aid until paramedics arrived and took the man to John Hunter Hospital under police guard. When he was released, he was taken to Waratah Police Station where he was charged with two counts of police pursuit and driving while disqualified. He was expected to face Paramatta Local Court on Sunday, May 25. A man accused of leading police on a car chase through Wallsend on Friday night was arrested after falling from a fence, allegedly running from officers, and impaling his leg. Police say they tried to stop a Kia Rio at Metcalfe Street at about 11.40pm and when it failed to pull over, they gave chase until they lost sight of the vehicle. Newcastle Highway Patrol officers re-engaged a short time later, as officers deployed road spikes, but lost sight of the car again until it was found crashed and abandoned in Elermore Parade just after midnight. Police called in help from the dog squad and PolAir, and set up a perimeter around the vehicle, eventually finding the man on Cambronne Parade at Elermore Vale where he allegedly fled on foot. Police say he fell while climbing a wooden fence and impaled his calf. Firefighters were called to cut the man down and officers provided immediate first aid until paramedics arrived and took the man to John Hunter Hospital under police guard. When he was released, he was taken to Waratah Police Station where he was charged with two counts of police pursuit and driving while disqualified. He was expected to face Paramatta Local Court on Sunday, May 25. A man accused of leading police on a car chase through Wallsend on Friday night was arrested after falling from a fence, allegedly running from officers, and impaling his leg. Police say they tried to stop a Kia Rio at Metcalfe Street at about 11.40pm and when it failed to pull over, they gave chase until they lost sight of the vehicle. Newcastle Highway Patrol officers re-engaged a short time later, as officers deployed road spikes, but lost sight of the car again until it was found crashed and abandoned in Elermore Parade just after midnight. Police called in help from the dog squad and PolAir, and set up a perimeter around the vehicle, eventually finding the man on Cambronne Parade at Elermore Vale where he allegedly fled on foot. Police say he fell while climbing a wooden fence and impaled his calf. Firefighters were called to cut the man down and officers provided immediate first aid until paramedics arrived and took the man to John Hunter Hospital under police guard. When he was released, he was taken to Waratah Police Station where he was charged with two counts of police pursuit and driving while disqualified. He was expected to face Paramatta Local Court on Sunday, May 25.
7NEWS
08-05-2025
- 7NEWS
Four teens arrested after high-speed police chase from Sydney's southwest to Bondi Junction in stolen car
Four Victorian teenagers have been arrested after allegedly leading police on a high-speed pursuit stretched throughout the Sydney metropolitan area in a stolen car. The group, including two 14-year-old boys and two girls aged 12 and 17, allegedly stole a white Mazda CX3 from a gym in Grovedale, Victoria, about 3pm on Wednesday. The teens then drove the car to NSW overnight and were spotted driving dangerously at high speed on the Hume Highway at Edmondson Park, in southwest Sydney, at about 10.30am on Thursday. When officers tried to pull them over, the driver allegedly refused to stop, triggering a pursuit that sped along the M5 Motorway towards the M7 at Prospect. Police called it off over safety concerns, but PolAir tracked the car through Milperra, where officers tried again to intercept it. The chase was abandoned a second time after the teens allegedly threw items — including a headrest, a floor mat, and other personal belongings — at pursuing police. From there, the car continued east, weaving through inner-city and eastern suburbs including Alexandria, Zetland, Centennial Park, Randwick and Bondi Junction. It finally came to a stop at the Bondi Junction railway station bus interchange, about a 50-minute drive from the starting point, where the teens dumped the car and ran. Plain clothes officers caught up with them on the train platform after a foot pursuit. All four were arrested and taken to Surry Hills Police Station, where they are assisting with inquiries. Detective Inspector Adam Solah described the behaviour as 'extremely dangerous', not just to the community, but also to the teenagers themselves. 'The driving throughout southwest Sydney into the Bondi Junction area was high speed, weaving in and out of traffic, extremely dangerous, let alone the objects being thrown from the vehicle, which of course in themselves is a very dangerous activity,' he said. 'And then we had to chase them across the rail platforms at Bondi Junction railway station. 'It's very concerning some of the behaviour of young people who think that stealing cars is effectively a joke. 'We treat it very seriously.' Police are investigating the incident and anyone with information are urged to come forward.
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Shocking moment bearded man fires shotgun from a moving car
A man and woman faced court on Monday after shots were allegedly fired from a vehicle at various locations on the outskirts of Newcastle, NSW. Police launched an investigation a video circulated on social media, sparking a tip-off from a concerned member of the public on Sunday evening. The footage showed a man behind the wheel of a vehicle, firing a gun out the window on two separate occasions, before he could be heard saying, 'Oops'. The first is believed to have happened at 4pm on Sunday while driving in Toronto on the Central Coast with the second at 9:35pm in Tenambit in Maitland on the Hunter. At 2:35am on Monday, Port Stephens police officers put a white Mazda CX5 under covert surveillance in Burley Street, Tenambit. It is alleged that while sitting in the parked vehicle, the man fired a single shot into the air. The car was then tracked by PolAir to a home on Coal Point Road, Coal Point, south of Newcastle. Specialist police units, including the Tactical Operations Unit, surrounded the property. At around 5:15am, a 27-year-old man emerged from the house and was arrested without incident. Shortly after, officers entered the property and arrested a 22-year-old woman in connection with the investigation. During a subsequent search of the home and property, officers allegedly located a firearm, ammunition, and a replica pistol. Police also alleged the man was disqualified from driving in NSW, had a Firearms Prohibition order, and was also driving the car without permission. The 27-year-old has been charged with 11 offences, including Possession of an unauthorised prohibited firearm and reckless driving. Detective Ranald Urquhart, Crime Manager for the Port Stephens and Hunter Police District, condemned the footage, branding it 'deeply concerning'. 'It is an incredibly dangerous offence and will be treated very seriously,' Detective Urquhar said. 'It most definitely is not a giggle. It's a very, very serious offence.' 'Social media can be a bit of a double edged sword, it can be used for some persons for notoriety but it can also… assist police when it comes to offences and identifying offenders.'
