The survey by ARC Justice asks about housing situations, whether homes have been affected by floods in the past three years, current insurance coverage, flood cover, premiums and what matters most to people when choosing insurance.
The survey is open to anyone in the region, and is not limited to those whose homes were flooded in 2022.
ARC Justice would like to hear from anyone in the area to better understand how common it is for people to be without flood cover, where access to affordable insurance is unfair, and what people think needs to be done.
It is hoped that the survey results will help ARC Justice’s advocacy and push for fairer insurance in areas such as Greater Shepparton.
“Floods, fires and heatwaves are hitting harder and leaving lasting damage — not just to homes, but to people’s ability to insure them,” ARC Justice chief executive Damian Stock said.
“Premiums are climbing, cover is being cut, and some households can’t get insurance at all.”
Mr Stock said ARC Justice worked in the community legal sector, and saw how extreme weather events, such as the October 2022 floods, put huge pressure on people already doing it tough.
“But this is bigger than one group or one issue,” he said.
“It affects everyone and we need to look for solutions and push for change together as a community.
“We don’t have all the answers, so we want to hear directly from locals about what’s happening in their community and what they think needs to change.”
Mr Stock said the feedback would be used to guide ARC Justice’s advocacy.
“Insurance companies are taking very seriously the implications of climate change on local flood risk,” he said.
“We know there are ways to reduce harm and help communities prepare, which should be reflected in how premiums are set.
“This survey is about listening first, then amplifying what people here say matters.”
Responses in the survey are anonymous and will be used to create a short public report.
The survey takes about five minutes and is open until August 31 at shorturl.at/RvCa4
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