General News
6 July, 2026
The Insurance Squeeze
Last week, MP for Maranoa David Littleproud referred the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission(ACCC) for unexplained, extreme premium increases. It’s a similar story here in Clifton.
In Bulloo shire, on the Western fringes of the Maranoa individual premiums have increased, in some cases by 80%.
In Mitchell, some home and contents insurance premiums have increased by 110%
However the real concern for David Littleproud was increases some community clubs saw: Premiums skyrocketing by 400% to even 500%.
In a speech to federal parliament described how in 2011, in communities hit by the floods, premiums were increased while levees were constructed, then lowered once they were in place.
However, this not the case in 2026.
“Eighteen months ago for no apparent reason and despite the fact that we have had three major flooding events that have tested those levee banks around those communities and have proven to have worked. With no claim we have seen increases of 300%, 400% and 500% increases in insurance premiums in those communities,” Mr Littleproud said.
“They are gouging these people in Western Queensland.”
In Clifton clubs like the Bowls Club have seen their premiums double since 2024.
Earlier this year we reported on how the Clifton Freemasons Hall had to be sold because of a 221% increase in insurance premiums.
Clifton Community Housing has seen roughly a $4,000 increase.
Mr. Littleproud referred the ICA to the ACCC because of the lack of transparency into how premiums are calculated.
For example, in his address to parliament he described how much of the data into flooding, is actually owned by the ICA.
“With flooding, data come from the National Flood Information Database. The National Flood Information Database is owned and managed by the Insurance Council of Australia,” he said.
“The insurance council of Australia is owned and managed by the insurance companies of Australia,”
Last year the insurance industry made over $5 billion in profit.
For the Freemasons of Clifton, the jump in premiums meant that they had to sell their hall.
It had been the temple for Freemasons in Clifton for 129 years, first on the block behind Clifton State School before it was moved to its current block on East Street.
There is an aspect to the Freemason equation where there aren’t enough members, but they aren’t the only ones seeing these insane spikes in premiums.
Last month the Freemasons had their first meeting outside of their hall.
It was held in the shed of Freemason, Tony Fenner’s Dillybag Gunyah.
Out the back in an old shed he restored, the Clifton temple has been recreated, with plastic chairs instead of its bench seats and Tony’s assortment of jokes strewn across the walls, but for the mason’s this’ll do.
“It had its character and it grows on you, you progress all through your masonic life with it. Yeah, it’s a bit heartbreaking to leave it, yeah,” Tony Fenner said.
Freemasons Tony Fenner, Keith Muller and Lindsay Muller sat down with the Clifton Courier inside their new temple.
Just last month these three men had what was their first meeting of the Clifton Lodge that wasn’t in the Mason’s hall on East Street.
The Mullers have been in the Freemasons for generations.
“Yeah it was pretty hard to let it go with all that history,” Lindsay said.
In 2024 their insurance premium was $1289.
In 2025 it increased to $2660 before in 2026 they were told it would increase again to $4500, a 221% increase, something that the Freemasons couldn’t afford.
The hail damage done to the hall had only been half finished before it was abandoned and left to Lindsay and his daughter to clean up.
It seems borderline destructive for insurance companies to raise prices so much in regional areas.
What Mr Littleproud also said in his speech, was that premiums in urban centres like Brisbane, were not increasing.
Which is strange because what we do know about Brisbane, is that it sits in the middle of multiple watersheds, making it particularly predisposed to flooding.
So if it’s not the potential for a destructive flood, one shudders to guess what it would be guiding the price increase.
Which is exactly Mr Littleproud’s reason for referring the ICA to the ACCC.
Because amongst a web of vested interests, and unexplained price hikes there is no real transparency.
No one knows why these premiums are spiking like they are, but we do know the immediate effect it’s having on our community.
The Freemasons would be the last ones to tell you, but they are vital sinews of Clifton.
They raise money, donate, volunteer, and lend a hand where needed.
Organisations like the Freemasons are some of the last bastions of rural and regional communities.
They’re so vital to the wellbeing and functioning of a community.
Insurance companies work hard on maintaining their image.
After the November 1 hailstorm they were out in force, showing they’re here and that they care - logos and all.
But when asked about the strain their premium hikes were causing regional communities, an ICA spokesperson referenced 9% of an individuals insurance premium that they pay on tax.
“In 2024-25, the Queensland government collected $1.6 billion in stamp duty taxes on insurance,” they said.
“An immediate way to reduce premium pressure is by removing inefficient state taxes on insurance.”
Essentially they’re saying its not their problem.
Which is why there needs to be transparency in the ways in which premiums are calculated.
Keith Muller has been a Freemason for 60 years.
“It’s just gonna drag us down and out, you know,” he said reservedly at Dillybag Gunyah.
A new reality is dawning on much of Australia, especially regional Australia.
That while natural disasters remain a frightening possibility, it’s a certainty that we’ll have to pay our premiums.
