On Thursday 5 January, Natalie Hutchins, MP for Keilor, will host a public forum in relation to the Christmas Day storms that struck Melbourne.



The hailstorms have been categorised as a catastrophe.  15,000 claims have already been made, with that number expected to rise over coming days.

“I want to give the community an opportunity to ask the insurance industry and government agencies questions about how best to progress their claims”, said Bill Shorten, Minister for Financial Services.

The meeting will be attended by the Insurance Council of Australia, key insurers, Victorian Legal Aid, the Consumer Action Law Centre and the Financial Ombudsman Service.

“It is important that people are aware of the services that are available to them,” said Natalie Hutchins, the Member for Keilor.

“That includes the possibility of payments from the Victorian Department of Human Services and assistance if they are in dispute with their insurer.”

The meeting will be held at the Keilor Downs Community Centre at 5pm on Thursday.

“I encourage anybody who suffered damage on Christmas Day and either hasn’t lodged their insurance claim or is unsure as to the status of their claim to attend the meeting”, said Ms Hutchins.

End