NEWS / Industry Bulletin
NIBA SUBMISSION TO SIRA ON PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE ARRANGEMENTS FOR FOOD DELIVERY RIDERS
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he National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) has made a submission to the NSW State Insurance Regulatory Authority consultation (SIRA) on personal injury insurance arrangements for food delivery riders. The submission acknowledged that the meteoric rise of the gig-economy in Australia has had a significant impact on the Australian economy and workforce as well as how unprepared Australia’s regulatory environment is to handle these new ways of working. The Association cited the deaths of six food-delivery riders in 2020 and the subsequent lack of protections for injured riders and their families is just one example where employment law cannot keep pace with the gig-economy. The Association stated that it believes that food delivery riders meet the requirements of a deemed worker as they are engaged by the platform for the purposes of their trade and are directed by the platform regarding the work to be performed and the time in which it is to be performed (many platforms track their delivery partners and riders may be removed from the platform if they fail to complete deliveries in what the platform deems to be a timely manner).
NIBA’s preferred option is to extend the existing workers compensation scheme to include food delivery riders, “This could be done by amended existing workers
compensation regulation to provide that food delivery drivers are deemed workers for the purposes of accessing workers compensation benefits and protection.”
ICA HAS DECLARED A CATASTROPHE FOR REGIONS OF VICTORIA IMPACTED BY THE WILD WEATHER
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he Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has declared an insurance catastrophe for regions of Victoria impacted by the wild weather, significant storms and riverine flooding in June. ICA CEO Andrew Hall said, “It’s too early to understand the extent of damage to property in affected areas and to estimate the insurance damage bill, however insurers have received more than 6,500 claims in the past few days.”
“The insurance industry has made this Catastrophe Declaration to activate services and support for affected homeowners and businesses and reassure them that their insurer is there to help.” The Victorian Government has also announced emergency relief payments, via the Personal Hardship Assistance Program to help meet immediate needs, including emergency food, shelter,
clothing and personal items. Information on how to access the relief payments, along with other recovery information can be found on the Vic Emergency website: emergency.vic.gov.au/relief The impact of the flooding has been felt most significantly in Gippsland around Traralgon and in the Yarra Ranges, however the declaration covers all claims related to the event in the second week of June.
For breaking news and updates curated specially for insurance brokers please visit: insuranceandrisk.com.au/category/news/
12 / INSURANCE ADVISER JULY 2021
