The work of the ACT Government’s Hail Assistance and Innovation Liaison (HAIL) Team supporting Canberra drivers impacted by the January hailstorm is now complete, with rebates of more than $507,000 provided to Canberrans with vehicles.
The program helped reduce the financial pressure for those impacted by the catastrophic hailstorm that hit Canberra in January 2020, damaging around 44,500 vehicles.
The 15-minute hailstorm event caused unparalleled damage and came at a time when Canberrans were already trying to cope with the flow on effects of the bushfires in the ACT and surrounding NSW.
The HAIL Team at Access Canberra processed 7,607 rebates through the program, refunding fees and charges paid by Canberrans for key road transport transactions including inspecting damaged vehicles and registering replacement vehicles.
An estimated 7,500 vehicles damaged in the storm were not insured, placing huge financial pressure on many families having to replace their vehicles out of their own pocket. These rebates aimed to reduce the extra costs usually associated with purchasing a new car.
A range of innovative methods were used to speed up transaction processing times to get drivers back on the road as quickly as possible, with demand for some services increasing by at least 128 percent compared to 2019.
Also, due to the workload created by the hailstorm damage, Access Canberra’s Vehicle Safety Standards team inspected 1,500 vehicles – either affected by the hail damage or replaced due the hail damage – at the Hume Motor Vehicle Inspection Station. These inspections ensured safe vehicles were returning to our roads.
Thank you to Canberrans for their patience as the HAIL Team delivered this assistance program throughout 2020 while also adapting its business model to benefit the community following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
