In response to the severe flooding in North Queensland, the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) is expanding its partnership with charities FareShare and Thread Together. The additional funding will increase the distribution of essential supplies in impacted areas, including food and clothing.
The recent floods have had a significant impact on the region. As of February 11, 2025, insurers have received over 5,690 storm and flood-related claims across North Queensland since severe weather hit the area on January 29.
As part of the initiative, FareShare will provide over 53,000 ready-made meals under its Disaster Relief Meal Programme. These meals will be distributed to affected regions and stored for future emergencies. Thread Together will supply more than 200,000 items of clothing through its Emergency Clothing Hub and mobile wardrobes deployed across flood-hit areas.
MJ Bellotti, Chief Purpose Officer of RACQ, noted the role of collaboration in disaster recovery, stating: “RACQ is committed to helping the North Queensland community recover from this devastating event and our team of claims officers, assessors and builders remain on the ground helping our members process their claims and start the journey of rebuilding.”
RACQ has previously worked with FareShare and Thread Together on disaster relief efforts. Its foundation has provided financial assistance for community recovery projects for over 15 years, distributing more than AU$15m (US$9.54m) in grants and supporting 25 on-the-ground initiatives across Queensland.
Apart from RACQ, several industry bodies and insurers have taken steps to support policyholders and improve disaster response measures.
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has expanded in-person claims support across flood-affected areas to assist policyholders. Additionally, Queensland insurers have urged a federal parliamentary committee to extend the cyclone reinsurance pool’s coverage, arguing that the current 48-hour post-event period is insufficient for comprehensive coverage.
