Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor has joined Radio 2GB host Alan Jones and former Federal Labor leader and Mount Hunter resident Mark Latham in calling on insurance companies to do the right thing by Picton in the wake of recent storm damage to businesses and homes.

Mr Taylor joined Alan Jones and Mark Latham on a street walk through Picton on Monday (21 June), meeting with local business owners, volunteers and residents impacted by the massive storm event on Sunday 5 June.

“What we’re seeing is that some of the insurance companies are doing the right thing and a number aren’t. They’re taking too long. Some of these businesses are lucky enough to be able to get themselves up again and running, but a lot aren’t.

“If they don’t get insurance or if they don’t have certainty that they’re going to get insurance, then they can’t be confident enough to spend the money to get up and going. Picton depends on the insurance companies doing the right thing,” Mr Taylor said.

Alan Jones said many businesses had not heard from their insurers in the two weeks since the storm.

“What I saw and heard… would make your hair stand on end,” Mr Jones said. “The most significant issue is the appalling performance of some insurance companies. They’re sending hydrologists to Picton to assess whether it was a flood or a storm. I was at the George IV Inn on Monday, one of the oldest pubs in Australia, Stonequarry Creek was nowhere near flooding when the water was over the bar in the pub. It was storm water, it was coming out of the sky,” he said.

Angus Taylor encouraged Picton residents to contact his offices in Camden or Goulburn with ongoing concerns about the impact of the storm.