AUTO INSURANCE IN AUSTRALIA

AUTO INSURANCE IN AUSTRALIA Several overseas companies have been circling the Australian market, but Progessive's entry represents by far the biggest headache for the local companies.Separately, insurance underwriters cited climate change as the most important issue confronting the industry.In South Australia, Third Party Personal insurance from the Motor Accident Commission is included in the licence registration fee for people over 16. A similar scheme applies in Western Australia.In Victoria, Third Party Personal insurance from the Transport Accident Commission is similarly included, through a levy, in the vehicle registration fee.In New South Wales, Compulsory Third Party Insurance (commonly known as CTP Insurance) is a mandatory requirement and each individual car must be insured or the vehicle will not be considered legal. Therefore, a motorist cannot drive the vehicle until it is insured. A 'Green Slip' another name CTP Insurance is commonly known by due to the colour of the pages the form is printed on, must be obtained through one of the seven main insurers in New South Wales.

At the same time, the global financial crisis caused earnings from insurers' investment portfolios to collapse, causing a drain on capital reserves.

House insurance premiums increased 10 per cent last year as insurers sought to reverse years of heavy discounting.

Car insurance premium rises are expected to match last year's 5 per cent increase.

The large number of payouts in recent years, including the more than $1 billion paid out in the wake of the Victorian bushfires, had insurers rethinking the cost of cover, said JPMorgan insurance research analyst Siddharth Parameswaran.

Elsewhere, compulsory third-party car insurance premiums in NSW are expected to increase by 10 per cent, rounding off the second year of double-digit gains, while Queensland motorists will be hardest hit with prices expected to soar by as much as 15 per cent, mostly due to more generous benefits.

While prices are tipped to run up, gains are likely to be tempered by competition in personal insurance, particularly among internet-based companies.