| Queensland WorkCover Freeze Offers Breathing Room for Tradie Employers Mon, 29 Jun: Queensland trade businesses have received a welcome measure of cost certainty, with WorkCover Queensland’s average premium rate to remain unchanged for the 2026-27 financial year. The rate will stay at $1.343 per $100 of wages, marking the second consecutive year without an increase. - read more
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| New DFAC Captain 45 Gives Light Truck Buyers a Fresh Value Option Mon, 29 Jun: Australia’s light-duty truck market has a new challenger, with DFAC launching its Captain 45 WorkReady model into a segment long dominated by established Japanese brands. The arrival is timely: many operators are reassessing replacement cycles, cash flow and vehicle availability after a softer broader truck market and a wave of Euro 6 model updates. - read more
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| AI Risk Is Moving From IT Teams to the Boardroom Mon, 29 Jun: Artificial intelligence is no longer a side project for technology teams. Fresh industry reporting on Clyde & Co’s Corporate Risk Radar 2026 points to a sharp rise in concern among business leaders, with technology risk now being treated as a core governance, regulatory and reputational issue. For Australian consultants, advisers, designers, engineers, accountants, marketers and other professional service providers, that shift has direct implications for risk management and professional indemnity cover. - read more
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| Small Businesses Face a New Cash Flow Test as Payday Super Nears Mon, 29 Jun: Australia’s move to Payday Super is about to shift from policy discussion to day-to-day business reality. From 1 July 2026, employers will need to pay superannuation guarantee contributions at the same time as wages, with contributions generally required to reach an employee’s fund within seven business days. For workers, the reform is designed to reduce unpaid super and make retirement contributions easier to track. For small business owners, it changes the rhythm of cash flow management. - read more
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| Vero’s New Strata Product Signals a Shift in How Complex Risks Are Priced Mon, 29 Jun: Vero has launched a new residential strata insurance product that could prove important for schemes finding it difficult to secure suitable cover, particularly in higher-risk northern markets. The product, introduced on 22 June 2026, is initially available in selected postcodes across Far North Queensland, from Bundaberg North, and Darwin, with a staged national rollout planned over the next year. - read more
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| AI Adoption Brings New Risk Questions for Office-Based SMEs Mon, 29 Jun: Artificial intelligence is quickly moving from experiment to everyday business tool, and a new global risk study suggests business leaders are starting to recognise the size of the shift. The latest Corporate Risk Radar research from Clyde & Co found technology risk has climbed sharply in the minds of senior decision-makers, with AI now linked not only to IT security but also governance, regulation, reputation and third-party dependency. - read more
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| Why Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Need Extra Attention Before You Travel Sun, 28 Jun: Australian travellers with pre-existing medical conditions have been given a timely reminder to look beyond price when arranging travel insurance, with recently updated consumer guidance placing renewed emphasis on disclosure, medical assessments and policy wording. - read more
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| What Delta’s Digital Insurance Move Means for Real Estate Agencies Sun, 28 Jun: Delta Insurance’s move onto Ebix Australia’s Sunrise Exchange is a useful signal for real estate agencies watching how business insurance is being distributed. The underwriting agency has made its cyber and management liability products available through the platform for the first time, using Entsia technology and an accelerated accreditation pathway. Further products are expected to follow, which points to continuing momentum behind digital placement for financial lines cover. - read more
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| What a Failed Fridge Claim Means for Restaurant Insurance Sun, 28 Jun: A recent insurance dispute involving a faulty vaccine fridge has a useful warning for Australian restaurant and café owners: a broken fridge is not always enough to secure a payout. In the case, reported on 26 June 2026, a business policyholder argued that a refrigeration unit had moved outside the required temperature range and could not be restored through resets. The owner believed an internal control component had failed and sought cover under an equipment failure section of the policy. - read more
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| Car Loan Fees and Hardship Practices Face Fresh ASIC Scrutiny Sun, 28 Jun: ASIC has put Australia’s car finance sector under renewed pressure after a broad review found that some borrowers may be paying high upfront costs, receiving uneven hardship support and being exposed to weak oversight where loans are sold through third parties. - read more
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| Vero’s No-Commission Strata Launch Adds Fresh Pressure to a Changing Market Sun, 28 Jun: Vero has entered the residential strata market with a nil-commission product aimed at addressing some of the placement challenges facing owners corporations, particularly in higher-risk regions. The product will initially be available through intermediaries in Far North Queensland and Darwin, with a broader national rollout planned in stages. - read more
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| Chery Q Shapes Up as a New Budget EV Contender for Australia Sun, 28 Jun: Australia’s budget electric vehicle segment could be heading for another shake-up, with Chery’s compact Q model emerging as a potential rival to the current price leaders. The small EV has gone on sale in Thailand at a sharply competitive price, giving Australian buyers an early clue about where Chery may position the car when it reaches our market. - read more
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| ASIC’s Car Finance Review Puts EV Buyers on Notice Sun, 28 Jun: Australia’s car finance market is under fresh scrutiny after ASIC released its latest review of car loans on 24 June 2026, highlighting concerns that are highly relevant for anyone planning to finance an electric vehicle. While the report covers the broader motor finance sector, its findings matter for EV shoppers because higher purchase prices, rapid model changes and varying resale assumptions can make the real cost of finance harder to judge at first glance. - read more
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| Tool Theft Claim Falls Short After Portable Items Limit Applied Sun, 28 Jun: A recent Australian Financial Complaints Authority decision is a timely reminder for tradies that the words in a policy schedule can matter just as much as the headline sum insured. The dispute involved a business that had tools and a trailer stolen from a worksite, then challenged the insurer’s payout after receiving far less than it believed the policy should provide. - read more
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| HCF Life Appeal Decision Puts Policy Wording Back in Focus Sun, 28 Jun: A recent Full Federal Court decision involving HCF Life has put renewed attention on one of the most important parts of any life insurance policy: how pre-existing conditions are described, limited and explained to customers. - read more
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| Cyclone Insurance Savings Offer Relief, But Farmers Still Face a Hard Market Sun, 28 Jun: The ACCC’s final monitoring report on the Australian Government’s cyclone reinsurance pool offers a cautiously positive signal for parts of northern Australia. Premium relief is showing up in higher cyclone-risk areas, particularly for home, strata and small business policies. For farming families and rural enterprises in exposed regions, that matters: the family home, workers’ accommodation, sheds, workshops and business premises can all sit within the same weather-risk landscape. - read more
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| New Liability Cover Adds Choice for Australian SMEs Sun, 28 Jun: Haven Underwriting has expanded its product suite with a new broadform liability offering, adding another option for Australian businesses that rely on customer-facing premises, physical locations and day-to-day public interaction. The cover is backed by Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance capacity and follows Haven’s earlier entry into the market with industrial special risk property cover. - read more
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| What New Boat Loan Guidance Means for Jetski Buyers Sat, 27 Jun: Canstar’s latest boat loan comparison update puts a timely spotlight on how Australians are funding life on the water, and the lessons are directly relevant for anyone considering a new or used jetski. While a personal watercraft may be smaller than a cabin cruiser or fishing boat, the finance principles are much the same: the right loan is not simply the one with the lowest advertised rate, but the one that fits your income, usage plans and repayment comfort. - read more
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| Judo Bank Loan Shock Puts SME Credit Quality Back in Focus Sat, 27 Jun: Judo Bank has put SME lending risk back under the spotlight after its listed parent, Judo Capital Holdings, suffered a sharp share price fall on 25 June 2026. The specialist business lender disclosed that three customer exposures had deteriorated in recent weeks, prompting higher credit provisions and a downgrade to its expected full-year profit before tax. - read more
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| What Great Aussie Caravans’ Liquidation Means for Buyers Sat, 27 Jun: The liquidation of Great Aussie Caravans is another reminder that buying a new van is not just a lifestyle decision; it is also a financial risk management exercise. The Melbourne manufacturer, which traded from Coolaroo and had dealers in Australia and New Zealand, has reportedly been wound up in the Victorian Supreme Court over an unpaid debt to the Victorian WorkCover Authority. At this early stage, the full position for customers, warranty claims and other creditors is still being assessed. - read more
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| Vero’s New Strata Product Signals a Shift in Cover Placement Sat, 27 Jun: Vero has entered the residential strata market with a new nil-commission product, initially launching in Far North Queensland and Darwin before a planned national rollout. The move is significant for owners corporations, strata committees and managers because these northern regions are among the most challenging areas in which to secure affordable and suitable building cover. - read more
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| Shield Fund case puts super investment oversight in spotlight Sat, 27 Jun: ASIC has launched fresh Federal Court proceedings against former Keystone Asset Management directors and compliance committee members over alleged failures connected to the Shield Master Fund, a managed investment scheme that attracted more than $530 million from about 5,800 investors. - read more
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| What Delta’s Digital Insurance Launch Means for Small Operators Sat, 27 Jun: Delta Insurance’s move onto Ebix Australia’s Sunrise Exchange is more than a technology update. For Australian small businesses, including domestic and home service operators, it points to a broader shift in how specialist insurance products are being accessed, compared and placed through the broker market. - read more
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| What Broker Growth Means for Personal Trainer Insurance Sat, 27 Jun: New industry research has underlined just how central brokers have become to Australia’s general insurance market, with broker-placed business accounting for $35.6 billion in gross written premiums in the year to 30 June 2025. That represents about 46% of all general insurance written in Australia, within a total market of $77.9 billion. - read more
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| NEOS Underwriting Upgrade Points to Faster Cover Decisions Sat, 27 Jun: NEOS has moved further into digital underwriting with the implementation of UnderwriteMe’s Decision Studio, a technology designed to improve how medical data is captured and assessed across its life insurance products. The development, announced in late June, reflects a broader shift in the Australian life insurance market: insurers are looking for faster, more consistent ways to assess applications without losing sight of fairness, accuracy and customer experience. - read more
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Please Note: If this information affects you or is relevant to your circumstances, seek advice from a licensed professional.
