Local trades register to aid bushfire recovery launches, the Insurance Council of Australia

All hands on deck called for as the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) opened an online register yesterday to help local tradespeople and builders play a significant role in rebuilding their regional communities. 

Qualified and reputable builders and tradespeople who have the capacity to work on property repairs and rebuilds are encouraged to register their details at www.disasters.org.au. 

The register will collect key information including the town or region in which the builder or tradesperson operates, available skills and qualifications, and their key contact details. 

The above information collected will then be publicly available for use by insurance companies to source additional tradespeople for property rebuilding and repairs. This information might also be used by residents, businesses and government agencies that are seeking reputable tradespeople for privately funded construction. 

"Insurers are committed to using local trades and builders where feasible." ICA Head of Risk and Operations, Karl Sullivan says, "This register helps qualified and reputable building industry professionals nominate for work in their local area.

"Employing and contracting local professionals and suppliers during the rebuilding phase of bushfire recovery is an essential component in ensuring the economic viability of communities, including the preservation of jobs and supporting local businesses and service providers. Building professionals will still need to provide competitive quotes when contracting for work.

"Experience from recent natural disaster shows insurers predominantly use local trades for most rebuilding and repair works. For example, insurers employed more than 2000 local trades and builders and supported dozens of suppliers and service providers following last year's catastrophic floods in Townsville."

Main Photo © Kenneth Allen (cc-by-sa/2.0)