At What Cost

Climate inaction, bushfire risk and rising insurance premiums

With home insurance premiums rising exponentially across the board, increased insurance premiums are a major factor in both the cost of living crisis and rising inflation levels. Join us as we discuss what we can expect from this year’s fire season, what’s happening in the insurance industry, and what we can all do to not only reduce our premiums but to better prepare for the challenges ahead.

With an interactive Question and Answer session Voices of Berowra asks your questions and ours to our impressive panel of expert guests including former Fire Chief Greg Mullins and the Actuaries Institute’s Actuary of the Year for 2023, Sharanjit Paddam.

This event will be moderated by Tina Brown, Publisher and Managing Editor of local paper The Post. Tina is also the founder of Tina Brown Coaching, a business which helps women succeed in their own business pursuits. Tina has previously worked as the Managing Director of Homestay Network and as well as a Project Management Consultant to various financial, telecommunications and government bodies.’

Greg Mullins is an internationally recognised expert in responding to major bushfires and natural disasters, with more than 50 years’ experience as a firefighter. He coordinated responses to many major natural disasters over more than two decades and retired as Commissioner of Fire & Rescue New South Wales in January 2017 after nearly 14 years in the role. On retirement, he immediately rejoined the rural fire brigade where he started as a volunteer in 1972, and fought fires throughout New South Wales during Black Summer. In 2019, he formed Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA), a group of former fire and emergency service chiefs from every state and territory concerned about the impacts of extreme weather driven by climate change.

Sharanjit Paddam is an actuary with 30 years’ experience in the UK and Australia. He is an expert on climate change and was awarded Insurance Leader of the Year 2022 by ANZIIF, Actuary of the Year 2023 by the Actuaries Institute, Risk Manager of the Year by the Climate Alliance in 2020, and is a TEDxSydney speaker. He co-leads Finity’s perils & climate practice and advises insurers, banks, investors and governments on climate risk assessment, management, strategy and reporting. In 2022-4 he co-authored reports for the Actuaries Institute on Home Insurance Affordability and Home Loans at Risk. Prior to Finity he was Group Head of ESG risk at QBE Insurance Group, where he developed global policies, risk management frameworks, and disclosures on climate change.