Research report
ARC Justice’s Impossible Decisions research report was launched online on May 8, 2026.
After the 2022 floods, ARC Justice worked alongside communities across north central Victoria dealing with housing loss, debt and recovery. Again and again, one issue kept coming up: insurance.
For many people, it’s becoming harder to afford, harder to access and harder to understand. Some households are going without cover altogether. Others are staying insured by cutting back on what their policies cover or taking on additional financial pressure.
Impossible Decisions: Community insights into access to affordable insurance in north central Victoria brings together what people have told ARC Justice and what that means for households and communities across the region.
What this report is
This report draws on 23 interviews, 79 survey responses, two community forums and ongoing conversations with people affected by the 2022 floods.
It reflects lived experience in the region and the patterns ARC Justice is seeing through its legal and community work.
This isn’t a technical or representative study. Its purpose is to capture what people are dealing with and bring those experiences into the conversations where decisions are made.
What we're hearing
Insurance affordability is now a daily pressure for many households.
About 40% of people ARC Justice spoke to were uninsured or under-insured for flood, with a further 9% unsure if they had cover at all. Premiums have risen sharply in a short period of time, forcing immediate decisions about whether people can stay insured.
For many, going without insurance isn’t a choice. It’s the result of costs rising beyond what people can reasonably afford, often alongside other cost-of-living pressures.
What this is doing
As more people lose or scale back cover, the effects are spreading beyond individual households.
Housing becomes less stable, with some people remaining in damaged or unsafe homes because they can’t afford repairs. Financial stress continues long after the disaster itself and uncertainty becomes part of daily life.
There are also broader impacts across communities. Local businesses face rising costs, access to lending becomes more difficult and some residents leave while others are left with fewer options. Over time, this is changing the shape and resilience of towns.
What needs to change
The report outlines 20 community-driven ideas to improve access to affordable insurance, increase transparency around pricing and risk and strengthen housing resilience.
There’s no single fix. The issues people are facing sit across the insurance system, housing, planning and disaster response.
These ideas reflect what people believe would make a practical difference in their communities and point to the need for co-ordinated action across government, insurers and the housing system.
What ARC Justice is doing
ARC Justice has amplified these insights through its contribution to the national Housing Resilience Action Plan 2030 and will continue working across sectors and with government to ensure the experiences of disaster-affected communities, and their ideas for change, are central to reforms.
ARC Justice will use this report to inform its advocacy and ongoing work with governments and partners across the housing and insurance system.
Watch the launch
Impossible Decisions: Community insights into access to affordable insurance in north central Victoria was launched on May 8, 2026.
More information
For more information or to get involved please contact Jack Piper on jack.piper@arcjustice.org.au or phone (03) 5445 0909