The National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) and the Council of Queensland Insurance Brokers (CQiB) will jointly deliver a professional development roadshow across Queensland in November 2026, visiting eight locations over two weeks.
The program targets brokers, insurers and industry partners across the state, combining structured education with peer networking at each stop.
The roadshow opens on the Gold Coast on November 6, then moves through Rockhampton (November 10), Mackay (November 11), Townsville (November 12) and Cairns (November 13). The second leg covers the Sunshine Coast (November 24), Toowoomba (November 25) and Bundaberg (November 26).
Each stop is a half-day program with three structured components: a NIBA industry update, a broker insights panel on communication and soft skills, and a technical education session. Those components qualify for structured CPD points under NIBA's framework, which requires individual members to complete a minimum of 25 points per calendar year, at least 17.5 of them from structured activities. Networking time at each event does not count towards CPD under NIBA's rules.
Registration details are available from NIBA.
NIBA CEO Richard Klipin said the program addresses a gap that has persisted for regional practitioners. "Regional brokers carry the same responsibilities as their metropolitan colleagues, often with less access to professional development and industry connection close to home. This Roadshow changes that. As brokers navigate ongoing regulatory and market change, being on the ground with them is how NIBA delivers on its commitment to the profession," Klipin said.
CQiB represents 53 Queensland firms across 85 offices, collectively employing 500 staff and placing more than $600 million in annual premiums, according to the association's own figures.
General manager David Duncalfe said the roadshow brings structured support directly to the brokers those firms employ. "Regionally located brokers protect the businesses, families, and communities that keep Queensland moving. This is a quality program delivered close to home, and we're proud to bring it to brokers in eight locations across the state, giving them more opportunities to connect with one another, hear from industry leaders, and explore the issues shaping our profession," Duncalfe said.
The Queensland roadshow is part of a broader NIBA strategy to extend its presence beyond capital cities. Over the past year, the association has established sub-committees in the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory and Tasmania, and has run events including the NSW Agriculture and Rural Risk Forum in regional communities.
NIBA president Nick Cook said the initiative reflects where an increasing share of the profession now operates. "NIBA believes in being present where our members are, and a growing share of the profession works well beyond the capital cities. Over the past year we've stood up sub-committees in the ACT, the Northern Territory, and Tasmania and taken forums into regional communities. The Queensland Roadshow continues that momentum, and partnering with CQiB lets us reach brokers right across the state in their own communities," Cook said.
NIBA represents approximately 380 member firms and more than 14,000 individual brokers nationally. The broker channel handled $35.6 billion in gross written premiums in FY25, nearly half of a total general insurance market valued at $77.9 billion, with the intermediated segment growing at a compound annual rate of 6.1% over the prior decade, according to NIBA's Data to Direction research.
The locations the roadshow is visiting reflect some of the more complex insurance conditions in the country.
Average home and contents premiums in north Queensland reached more than $3,100 in 2024-25, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) fifth and final insurance monitoring report. The national average outside northern Australia was $2,310, itself up 10% year on year.
The government's cyclone reinsurance pool has brought some relief. The ACCC found home insurance premiums fell 14% and small business premiums fell 31% up to two years after insurers joined. But the regulator also confirmed that no new insurers have entered northern Australian markets since the pool launched in 2022.
That constrained market creates real pressure for clients. Tyrone Shandiman, managing director of Brisbane-based Strata Insurance Solutions and chair of the Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby (ACIL), has previously warned of what happens when premiums push beyond affordability thresholds. "Insurers have to strike a careful balance because if premiums rise beyond what consumers can afford, not only does it reduce insurance participation and increase underinsurance, but it also increases the likelihood of regulatory and government intervention in the market," Shandiman said.
Compliance obligations have also shifted. Since July 10, 2025, brokers providing personal advice to retail clients have been required to obtain and document informed consent before receiving commissions, adding new disclosure and record-keeping obligations across the profession. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) sets out its guidance on the requirement in Information Sheet 292.
