Insurance claims soar, domestic violence tax, shark attacks

  • 09/06/2016
Jason Morrison (Paul Henry)
Jason Morrison (Paul Henry)

The Insurance Council of Australia say the million dollar homes along Sydney’s beaches are not likely to be insured, because the damage is caused by the sea.

Insurers have received 14,500 claims so far worth an estimated AU$56 million (NZ$60 million) and that’s expected to keep rising.  

However, in 2002 there were mass protests along Collaroy Beach protesting the building of a sea wall that could have prevented exactly this.

The ACT government has announced the country’s first domestic violence tax, and will begin charging households AU$30 per year. The levy has been established to fund an AU$21.4 million reform package, the Safer Families program. The fund will be the territory’s largest ever investment in the issue.

There have been two shark deaths in the last week in West Australia is causing a re-think of shark control.

There have been 22 shark deaths in the last century, 12 of which have been since 2001.

Possible reasons for the rise in deaths are the closure of a WA shark fishery in 2007, and decreased use of baited drum lines.

The west coast shark population is estimated to be between 3500 - 5000, and anecdotal reports from fisherman in the area say there are more sharks coming closer in.

Australian correspondent Jason Morrison joined Paul Henry this morning to discuss.