| Cyclone Pool Delivers Relief, But Farmers Still Need to Check Cover Tue, 30 Jun: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s final monitoring report on the cyclone reinsurance pool has delivered a mixed message for rural and regional northern Australia. The pool appears to have helped ease some premium pressure for medium to high cyclone-risk areas, including reductions across home, strata and small business building and contents cover. For farm families and agribusinesses in cyclone-exposed regions, that is welcome news after years of rising costs and limited choice. - read more
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| What the RBA’s New Policy Toolkit Means for Borrowers Tue, 30 Jun: The Reserve Bank of Australia has released a new framework explaining how it would approach additional monetary policy tools if the cash rate were again pushed close to zero and the economy still needed support. While that may sound distant from today’s lending market, the document matters for borrowers because it clarifies how the central bank thinks about future credit conditions, lender funding costs and the transmission of lower rates through the economy. - read more
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| Grand G980 Arrival Highlights Premium RIB Demand Tue, 30 Jun: Grand Boats Australia’s Southern Hemisphere debut of the Grand G980 adds another notable option to the premium recreational boating market. The 10-metre rigid inflatable boat is positioned as a flagship adventure RIB, combining high-performance offshore capability with the kind of comfort features usually associated with larger cruisers. For Australian buyers, it is another sign that the local market remains interested in versatile boats that can handle family days, coastal exploring and overnight escapes. - read more
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| Record Commercial Card Debt Points to Fresh SME Cashflow Pressure Tue, 30 Jun: Australian small businesses are showing another sign of financial strain, with commercial credit card debt reaching a record level at the end of June. New analysis from Credit 2024 and Primara Research indicates total commercial card debt has climbed to about $2.26 billion, with almost a quarter of that sitting in high-interest balances rather than being cleared quickly. - read more
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| June Loan Rate Data Gives Motorbike Buyers More to Compare Tue, 30 Jun: Fresh June personal loan data has put a spotlight on just how different borrowing costs can be for Australians planning a motorcycle purchase. Canstar’s latest personal loan comparison shows some headline rates remain competitive, with low-rate unsecured and fixed personal loan offers sitting in the mid-five per cent range for borrowers who qualify. - read more
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| Draft Insurance Code Could Lift Claims Standards for Tradies Tue, 30 Jun: The Insurance Council of Australia’s redrafted General Insurance Code of Practice has moved into consultation, with submissions open until 21 July 2026 and a transition period of around two years expected if the code proceeds. For trade business owners, the headline change is that key insurer commitments are intended to become contractually enforceable, rather than sitting only as industry standards. - read more
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| APRA’s Lending Rule Review Could Open Capacity for Banks Tue, 30 Jun: APRA has opened consultation on proposed changes to bank credit risk capital settings, a move designed to give Australian banks more room to lend while preserving the resilience of the financial system.Announced on 29 June 2026, the proposals form part of a broader capital and liquidity reform package aimed at keeping banks strong through economic shocks while making regulation more responsive to real-world lending risks. - read more
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| Melbourne’s Auction Slowdown Could Shift Power Towards Prepared First-Home Buyers Tue, 30 Jun: Melbourne’s auction market has entered a noticeably weaker phase, with the latest reported clearance rate sitting in the mid-40 per cent range and several June weekends falling below the 50 per cent mark. For first-home buyers who have spent the past year battling crowded inspections and fast-moving bidding, the shift is worth watching closely. - read more
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| 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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Please Note: If this information affects you or is relevant to your circumstances, seek advice from a licensed professional.
