PAINFUL WAIT: Report on Mossman businesses insurance claims could take four months
CYCLONE CLAIMS
Businesses in Mossman face a long and painful wait before they know whether insurance claims submitted after Cyclone Jasper flooding will be paid or rejected.
One business Newsport spoke to has a claim in for over $100K, after vital equipment and stock were damaged during the deluge that followed Jasper in December.
The all-clear for payment of some business insurance claims which resulted from the flood devastated Mossman CBD are largely dependent on reports by hydrologists who visited the town on behalf of insurance companies more than a week ago.
The experts’ determination over whether damage was caused by floodwater directly from the Mossman River - or stormwater (rain water) from the rainstorm immediately following Jasper, could make or break the future of some businesses.
The difference between storm and flood as the cause of the damage, could simply mean that a claim might not be paid, depending on the policy a business has taken out.
Roy Weavers of Mossman Print told Newsport that their insurance broker has indicated up to a four month wait before the insurance company even determines if their claim – comprising machines, paper and print media stock, shop fittings and loss of income – will be paid or not.
“We can’t wait that long,” he said. “We are looking at other options to help us recover, re-equip and re-stock, including a low-interest government disaster assistance loan.”
But Mr Weavers said there is no certainty if his print shop will qualify for that type of loan, and-or a government disaster payment, or grant, of up to $50K.
Douglas Shire councillor Peter McKeown, who himself runs a café business in Mossman (but luckily was hardly affected by the flooding) told us that regardless of what insurance companies cover or don’t cover – the whole town will suffer economically for many months, even years to come.
“Basically the only shop or business in the main street here that didn’t get affected was the Post Office,” he said, “because you’ve got three or four steps up there.”
The ongoing uncertainty over insurance claims, the complexity of applying for government disaster assistance, and the unknown fate of the Mossman Sugar Mill – all make for a dire outlook for the town moving forward, Cr McKeown adds.
“There’re not too many smiling faces around town at the moment. It’s not good.”
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