National insurance scheme progress revealed
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has released its second annual progress report which provides an update on the greater roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The report details the increasing participant satisfaction of those involved in the scheme with an overall satisfaction rating of 1.64 on a scale of -2 (extremely dissatisfied) to +2 (extremely satisfied).
The report marks the second anniversary of the original trial sites of the NDIS and Bruce Bonyhady, chairman of NDIA, believes the report shows great progress for the scheme.
“Ultimately, the NDIS will improve the lives of 460,000 Australians and their families,” Bonyhady said.
“We owe it to every one of those people to make the NDIS the best scheme possible so it is encouraging to see very positive feedback from participants.
“Importantly for all Australians, the report also notes that the NDIS is being delivered on time and within budget.”
The report also marks the opening of an NDIS shopfront in Penrith, which means people who plan to use the scheme in the area will have access to support as part of the planned roll-out in September.
Bonyhady said that the report gives millions of Australian’s who will rely on the scheme hope in the long-term by offering a greater insight into how the NDIS is moving forward.
“We are two years into one of the greatest social reforms we will see in this generation in Australia,” Bonyhady said.
“As a country, we should be proud of the progress we are making in providing people with disability the supports to make the most of their lives, but there is a lot more to be done.
“There are millions of Australians with a strong interest in the progress of this Scheme. This report is designed to give them an understanding of what the NDIA has learnt over the past two years and the giant steps the NDIS has taken since its inception.”
Industry award expands to new state
The Australian Insurance Law Association (
AILA) has announced that the Ron Shorter Award has been extended to Victoria.
The award which is designed to promote young professionals and their public speaking skills will hold its inaugural finals in the state on July 30, it has been revealed.
In its fourth year in New South Wales, the Ron Shorter Award finalists are required to speak for fifteen minutes in front of a judging panel of insurance industry luminaries on a topic of their choice.
Danielle Blaschuk, from Catholic Church Insurances, will speak on the influence of customer service on the personal lines sector, Gilchrist Connell lawyer Laura Gaffey’s talk is entitled insurance – let’s get visible, and Alexander Morell from Colin Biggers & Paisley, will talk on the relationship between insurer, insured and defence counsel.
The three member judging panel includes,
Donna Walker, executive general manager of broker business at
CGU,
Noel Condon, CEO at
AIG, and Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Emilios Kyrou.
The three finalists where whittled down from 22 who participated in an intensive training program with Polaris Coaching designed to work on public speaking technique and refine the chosen topics.
The winner of the event, to be held in the offices of Colin Biggers & Paisley in Melbourne, will receive the Victorian Ron Shorter trophy alongside a $500 Westfield voucher and the opportunity to take on winner of the New South Wales award, Divya Pahawa, at the AILA National conference in Melbourne later in the year.
Runners-up each receive a $200 Westfield voucher.
NZ Insurer CEO has contract extended
Tower Chief Executive Officer David Hancock has had his two-year contract extended by up to three months, the insurer said this week.
Hancock’s contract with the general insurer, who are listed on the Australian stock exchange, was due to conclude on 30 June 2015 but instead it would now run up until 30 September, 2015.
Tower Chairman Michael Stiassny said yesterday that the board had extended Hancock’s contract to enable him to oversee the delivery of a number of strategic initiatives underway in the business.
“David has demonstrated outstanding leadership in transforming TOWER into a customer-focused general insurer over the past two years. We are pleased that he has agreed to extend his tenure with TOWER to see through some important initiatives that will deliver long-term value to our shareholders,” Stiassny said.
The board has conducted an international search for a new Chief Executive Officer, and expects to be in a position to announce an appointment within the next eight weeks.
Stiassny said Mr Hancock, who also is an Executive Director of the Tower board, will work closely with the new Chief Executive Officer designate to ensure a seamless transition for the business over the coming months.
