Earlier this year, the Macleay Valley Business Chamber highlighted the growing flood insurance crisis affecting businesses and homeowners across our region, following advocacy efforts led by Chamber committee member Gary Scott.
We explored the escalating cost of insurance and the urgent need for government and industry to address the pressures facing regional communities like the Macleay Valley.
Last Wednesday served as a quiet but powerful reminder of why this issue matters.
Attendees from the yearly NRL League Stars Challenge – Gala Day stopped at the The HalfWay Shop on Belgrave Street, which quietly reopened its doors today after being closed since the May 2025 floods.
For many sporting teams and locals, it’s a familiar place. But its reopening represents something much bigger — the resilience of small businesses that have spent months repairing, rebuilding and navigating the financial aftermath of last year’s disaster.
Unfortunately, for many businesses across the valley, the biggest challenge isn’t just rebuilding after the flood. It’s what comes next.
Insurance Costs Pushing Families and Businesses to the Brink
The growing crisis has now been highlighted nationally, with 7 News reporting that homeowners and businesses across the Macleay Valley are buckling under the weight of rising insurance costs following last year’s floods.
In the report, local business owner Anthony Patterson revealed the staggering cost of flood insurance for his business.
“My business alone — $35,000 a year if I wanted flood insurance. I can’t afford that, so that’s what I’ve got to go without.”
According to the report, Anthony’s story is far from unique. Many businesses across the valley are now facing the same impossible choice: pay premiums that are financially crippling, or operate without coverage and hope the next flood doesn’t come.
Local leaders say the impact is already being felt throughout the community.
Some families who were once financially secure are now living below the poverty line simply because of the cost of insuring their homes and businesses after repeated floods.
The issue is also affecting future homeowners. For those seeking finance, compulsory insurance requirements can reach up to $10,000 a year, pricing some families out of the housing market during an already severe housing shortage.
As reported by 7 News journalist Samantha Crowe, these concerns were the focus of an insurance roundtable held in Kempsey, where community leaders and government representatives discussed potential solutions.
One proposal gaining traction is a public–private partnership approach, with a shift toward investing more heavily in flood mitigation and prevention rather than repeatedly funding disaster recovery.
Experts say measures such as strengthening the flood levee system, dredging the Macleay River and improving flood protection infrastructure could significantly reduce risk — and ultimately bring insurance premiums back to more affordable levels.
The Chamber’s Push for Change
This issue continues to be a major focus for the Macleay Valley Business Chamber, with Gary Scott leading ongoing advocacy to bring the insurance crisis facing regional communities to the attention of decision-makers.
Gary has been working to ensure the challenges faced by businesses and residents in the Macleay Valley are heard by government and industry alike — pushing for practical solutions that address both the cost and accessibility of flood insurance.
For many local businesses, insurance is no longer simply another operating cost.
It is becoming a deciding factor in whether businesses can continue operating in flood-affected regions at all.
What Needs to Happen Next
The Macleay Valley has always been a community that understands the realities of living alongside a river.
Floods have shaped the history of this region. But what is becoming increasingly clear is that the financial aftermath is now lasting longer than the floodwaters themselves.
If communities like ours are expected to recover and rebuild, then access to fair and affordable insurance must be part of the solution.
Investment in flood mitigation infrastructure, river management and long-term risk reduction could play a critical role in bringing insurance premiums back within reach for families and businesses.
Because without meaningful action, every flood risks becoming not just a natural disaster — but an economic one.
And as the quiet reopening of the Half Way Shop today reminds us, the people of the Macleay Valley are willing to rebuild.
The question now is whether the systems around them will help make that possible.
We will continue to update you on the progression as Gary Scott and the Macleay Valley Chamber continue to fight for our region.
