The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has re-affirmed the commitment and focus of the general insurance industry in assisting policyholders affected by the Queensland floods.

"Insurance assessors are on the ground in some affected areas and are undertaking claims assessments for property and motor vehicles that have been inundated by the flood waters," the ICA said in a statement on Friday.

According to the ICA, the general insurance industry has received approximately 4,300 claims from impacted Queensland insurance policyholders with an estimated insurable cost at this stage of approximately $150 million.

It said the insurance taskforce it established continues to operate and work closely with the Queensland government and relevant stakeholders.

The ICA encourages policyholders to continue to speak with their insurer throughout the claims process. Some recovery tips for policyholders are:

  • Do not be concerned if insurance documents have been lost or damaged due to the flood. Insurance companies keep records electronically and only require thepolicyholders' name and address in order to locate a policy.
  • Be sure to contact your insurer before authorising repairs.
  • Do remove water and mud damaged possessions. Carpets and soft furnishings, can be removed from the building and disposed of as part of your clean up (if possible take photos or make an inventory of the possessions that have been damaged).

The ICA said all claims received will be assessed on a case by case basis taking into account the nature of the damaged sustained and the terms and conditions of each insurance policy.