Cairns Regional Council and James Cook University are investigating the extent of under-insurance in the region, and locals are asked to share their experiences in a survey.
Cairns Deputy Mayor and Local Disaster Management Group chair, Cr Terry James, said data collected in the survey would feed into decision making around insurance and disaster recovery.
"A community that is well-prepared and well-insured can get back on track after a disaster sooner, both financially and socially," he said.
Cr James said it was widely reported that many people in Cairns could not afford the level of insurance cover they would like to have, which was highlighted again when the Northern Australia Insurance Inquiry released its findings late last year.
"We need to understand the extent of the issues Cairns people have in securing appropriate insurance. This local data will be vital for presenting back to stakeholders, including State and Federal government agencies, on the ongoing problems of insurance for Cairns people."
JCU senior lecturer Dr Nick Osbaldiston, who is leading the research, said Cairns city had not experienced a large-scale natural disaster for several years, but many long-term residents would remember a damaging weather event in their lifetime.
"We want to understand more about how people in Cairns utilise insurance for their homes and contents. In particular, we're keen to explore the impact of insurance premiums on people's lives," Dr Osbaldiston said.
"This survey will gather important information on how many people are actually insuring in Cairns, their fundamental concerns around insurance, and how people understand the risks of living here."
The survey is jointly funded by the Queensland and Australian Governments under the Community Development program by the Commonwealth/State Disaster Recovery Funding.
The survey is anonymous and takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete. You can take the survey here: Cairns Insurance Survey.
