New South Wales (NSW)
New South Wales pays more, and there is a specific reason.
NSW property premiums carry the Emergency Services Levy, which no other mainland state applies to insurance. It is a real line item, we show it separately, and it explains most of the gap between a Sydney quote and a Brisbane one.
What is different about insuring in New South Wales
New South Wales is the only mainland state that still funds its fire and emergency services through a levy on insurance premiums rather than through council rates. The Emergency Services Levy is applied to the base premium, and then GST and stamp duty are applied on top of that. It compounds, and on a home policy it typically adds between 15 and 20 per cent to what you pay.
The second thing that makes NSW distinctive is hail. Sydney sits in one of the most expensive hail loss zones in the world. The 1999 Sydney hailstorm is still, adjusted for inflation, among the costliest natural disasters in Australian history, and the 2018 and 2020 events both ran into the billions. We rate hail explicitly by postcode rather than folding it into a general storm loading.
Third is the Hawkesbury-Nepean valley. It is a floodplain with limited flood evacuation capacity and a catchment that fills fast. Flood is included as standard on our home, contents and landlord policies wherever you are, but in the Hawkesbury-Nepean it is the factor that moves the price most, and we will tell you that on the quote rather than after it.
What you pay on top of the premium
- Emergency Services Levy
- About 18%Applied to the base premium on property policies, before GST and stamp duty
- Stamp duty
- 9%On general insurance, applied after the levy and GST
- GST
- 10%Applied to the base premium plus the levy
- CTP Green Slip
- SeparateNot part of this policy, and not issued by Southerly
The risks we rate for in NSW
Hail
Sydney and the Illawarra sit in a severe hail corridor. Roof, skylight and vehicle damage in a single afternoon, and the largest single source of NSW claims by value.
Bushfire
The Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands, the Central Coast and the far south coast all carry mapped bushfire prone land. The 2019 to 2020 season reset how the market prices it.
East coast lows
Intense low pressure systems that sit off the coast for days, producing damaging wind, heavy rain and coastal erosion from Newcastle to the far south coast.
Riverine flood
The Hawkesbury-Nepean, the Northern Rivers and the inland river systems. Included as standard, and rated by address rather than by postcode alone.
The Green Slip is the one thing you have to buy before you can register.
New South Wales is the only state where Compulsory Third Party injury cover is bought as a standalone product from a licensed insurer before registration, rather than collected with the registration fee. You cannot register or renew until you have one.
Because there are multiple licensed CTP insurers competing, prices for the same vehicle and driver genuinely differ, sometimes by a hundred dollars or more. The state operates a Green Slip price comparison service and it is worth ten minutes of your time every year.
A Green Slip covers injury to people. It does not cover any damage to any car, including yours. That is what the motor policy on this site does, and you need both.
Where our NSW customers are
| Region | Postcodes | What drives the rating |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney eastern suburbs | 2021 to 2036 | High rebuild costs, high contents values, and hail. Coastal erosion on the beachfront strip. |
| Western Sydney | 2145 to 2179 | The most severe hail corridor in the state, plus Hawkesbury-Nepean flood exposure in the north west. |
| Blue Mountains | 2774 to 2787 | Mapped bushfire prone land across almost the entire local government area. Bushfire attack level drives the rating. |
| Newcastle and the Hunter | 2280 to 2330 | East coast lows, storm surge on the coastal strip, and mine subsidence in parts of the Hunter. |
| Northern Rivers | 2477 to 2489 | Riverine flood is the dominant factor after 2022. Rated street by street rather than by postcode. |
| Illawarra and south coast | 2500 to 2548 | Hail, east coast lows, and bushfire on the escarpment and through the far south coast forests. |
A NSW claim, settled
The hail came through the skylight on a Tuesday. Make safe was on site the next morning and the assessor rang me himself, not a call centre.
NSW questions
Why is my Sydney premium higher than the same house in Brisbane?
Three reasons, in order. The Emergency Services Levy adds roughly 18 per cent to a NSW property premium and Queensland does not have an equivalent on insurance. Sydney hail exposure is priced higher than Brisbane hail exposure. And Sydney rebuild costs per square metre are higher, which raises the sum insured for the same house. The first of those is a state government decision, not an insurer one.
Do I still need a Green Slip if I have comprehensive cover with you?
Yes. They are entirely separate products covering entirely separate things. The Green Slip covers injury to people and is compulsory before registration. Comprehensive covers damage to property, including your car. Southerly does not issue Green Slips, and no motor policy in New South Wales includes one.
Is my house in a bushfire prone area?
Your local council maintains bushfire prone land mapping, and the NSW Rural Fire Service publishes it. If your property is mapped, tell us. A house with a bushfire attack level rating and compliant construction is rated better than one without, and not declaring it does not help you.
I am in the Hawkesbury-Nepean. Can I get flood cover?
Yes. Flood is included as standard on our home, contents and landlord policies, using the standard definition in the Insurance Contracts Regulations. In the Hawkesbury-Nepean it is the largest single factor in the premium, and we will show you what removing it would save if you want to see the number.
What is mine subsidence and am I covered?
In parts of the Hunter, Lake Macquarie, Newcastle and the Southern Coalfields, ground movement caused by historical underground mining is a real risk. It is handled by the NSW Government subsidence scheme rather than by insurers, and if your property is in a declared district the scheme is where a subsidence claim goes. Our policy covers the perils it lists; subsidence from mining is not one of them, because there is a dedicated scheme for it.
This advice is general only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on it, consider whether it is appropriate for you. Consider the PDS and TMD before deciding whether a product is right for you.
Get a New South Wales quote in two minutes.
Eight questions and you will see the premium, the excess and the main exclusions on one screen. All premiums shown are in Australian dollars and include GST and stamp duty, plus the NSW Emergency Services Levy or the Tasmanian Fire Service Contribution where they apply.
Consider the PDS and TMD before deciding. Premiums include GST and stamp duty.