Suncorp unveils cutting-edge Disaster Management Centre in Brisbane to tackle extreme weather
Suncorp will officially launch its state-of-the-art Disaster Management Centre (DMC) in Brisbane today – a high-tech facility designed to enhance extreme weather response, enabling the insurer to mobilise faster and reach more customers sooner.
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The DMC is equipped with a nine-metre-wide control screen that integrates Suncorp data, geospatial mapping, real-time weather alerts, satellite and aerial imagery, artificial intelligence (AI) and emergency news feeds to equip Suncorp’s Disaster Management team to support impacted communities and customers across Australia and New Zealand.
Suncorp CEO Steve Johnston said the DMC represented a major leap forward in the company’s ability to deliver best-in-class disaster management before, during and after extreme weather events.
“More than 100 years of experience has taught us the importance of preparedness, speed, and reaching customers as quickly as possible,” Mr Johnston said.
“The DMC strengthens our capacity to proactively communicate, and rapidly deploy our specialist customer support teams, builders and assessors with speed and urgency.
“The Centre’s market-leading technology, including aerial imagery and AI-powered damage detection, also enables us to virtually triage even the most severely impacted communities – a function that proved valuable during a recent storm that cut off access to a community, yet we were able to identify impacted customers and proactively contact them to get their claim started.
“Importantly, we are sharing the DMC’s capabilities and insights with governments, industry, and emergency services to help drive better preparedness and recovery for the wider community. The Centre’s design was informed by feedback from our partners including the Queensland SES, to enhance its operational efficiency and effectiveness.”
The DMC is part of Suncorp’s commitment to improving customer support, with the insurer also adding a fleet of five mobile disaster response hubs to scale up on-the-ground presence in the wake of disasters across Australia.
“Our new fleet will be armed with a support team trained to assist customers impacted by extreme weather events across Australia, with hubs featuring tools and equipment, including solar-powered devices to help customers charge their phones, contact loved ones, and lodge their claims,” Mr Johnston said.
In addition to the mobile hubs, Suncorp has expanded its workforce by adding a further 150 permanent full-time employees and established an on-call lodgement response team that can quickly scale up during major weather events.
“Suncorp has a long history of supporting customers and communities recover from natural disasters, especially those customers who have experienced significant trauma or are vulnerable. We are committed to continuously improving our processes to better identify and support customers with vulnerabilities through their claim,” Mr Johnston said.
“Over the last year, we’ve supported more than 18,000 customers who have identified as vulnerable, and our team has undertaken more than 22,000 hours of training to improve how we support these customers.”
Mr Johnston said Suncorp’s investment in new technology, expanded permanent employees, and enhanced disaster management capabilities will further strengthen its advocacy with government.
“In the past five years, Suncorp has managed more than 700,000 natural disaster claims worth more than $9 billion,” he said. “We understand the impact extreme weather has on communities, and it is crucial to collaborate with governments to share our data and insights, and advocate for greater investment in disaster resilience.
The DMC is part of Suncorp’s $25 million jobs and investment commitment to the Queensland Government in the sale of Suncorp Bank.
