Fast Track assessment

The Fast Track assessment option allows eligible Claimants to bypass much of the standard loss assessment process and receive interim payments sooner. If you have a Residential Claim, you may be eligible for the Fast Track assessment process.

Am I eligible for Fast Track assessment?

Fast Track assessment is available to Claimants with Residential Claims and in circumstances where:

• the claim for all Claimants is regarding the same loss location,
• all Claimants had the same relationship to that loss location at the time of the flood, and 
• all Claimants agree to participate in the Fast Track process. 

In order to determine whether all Claimants had the same relationship to the loss location, we will ask the dedicated Contact whether:

• All Claimants were tenants;
• All Claimants were owner/occupiers;
• All Claimants were landlords;
• The Claimants had a mixture of the above relationships; or
• The Claimants had a relationship not specified above.

Examples of Claimants eligible for fast track

• Two Claimants jointly own and occupy a home, both Claimants agree to participate in the Fast Track process and there are no other people who are making a claim in respect of the loss location
• A landlord of an apartment elects to participate in the Fast Track process, but the tenant has not made a claim in respect of the loss location
• Two tenants who leased an apartment and elected to participate in the Fast Track process and the landlord has not made a claim in respect of the loss location

Examples of Claimants ineligible for fast track

• Two Claimants jointly own and occupy a home but one Claimant refuses to participate in the Fast Track process

How does Fast Track assessment work?

For claims involving Claimants who were owner-occupiers or landlords, we will ask the Contact questions that will help us assess the Claimants’ likely building losses.

For claims involving Claimants who were tenants, we will ask the Contact questions that will help us assess the Claimants’ likely contents losses.

All questions are based on the Assessment Principles contained in the Settlement Scheme, or otherwise in accordance with the laws of Queensland.

We will then ‘Multiply Up’ or increase the assessed building or contents losses by using the following Court-approved multipliers:

For owner-occupiers: Assessed building losses multiplied by 1.8

For landlords: Assessed building losses multiplied by 1.25

For tenants: Assessed contents losses multiplied by 1.25

Fast Track Process examples

Below are examples of how the Fast Track process works:

Owner occupier example

• A husband and wife own and occupy a house that was damaged in the flood. In addition to the damage to the building itself, their contents and car was also damaged.
• They both agree to participate in the Fast Track process and there are no other Claimants who have made a claim at this loss location.
• A loss assessor will assess the damage to the building using the Court-approved settlement scheme. As they are owner-occupiers, the assessed building losses will be multiplied by 1.8.
• If the assessed building losses amount to $100,000 then the total assessed loss will be increased to $180,000 ($100,000 x 1.8 = $180,000). This increase is intended to compensate them for other losses such as damage to their contents and car.
   

Landlord example

• A landlord owns an apartment that was damaged in the flood. In addition to the damage to the building itself, the landlord suffered loss of rent. At the time of the flood, the apartment was vacant.
• The landlord elects to participate in the Fast Track process and there are no other Claimants who have made a claim at this loss location.
• A loss assessor will assess the damage to the building using the Court-approved settlement scheme. As the Claimant is a landlord, the assessed building losses will be multiplied by 1.25.
• If the assessed building losses amount to $50,000 then the total assessed loss will be increased to $62,500 ($50,000 x 1.25 = $62,500). This increase is intended to compensate the landlord for other losses such as loss of rent.
   

Tenant example

• Two roommates leased an apartment that was damaged in the flood. The roommates both suffered damage to their contents and needed to pay for temporary accommodation while the apartment was being repaired.
• They both agree to participate in the Fast Track process and there are no other Claimants who have made a claim at this loss location.
• A loss assessor will assess the damage to their contents using the Court-approved settlement scheme. As they are tenants, their assessed contents losses will be multiplied by 1.25.
• If the assessed contents losses amount to $20,000 then the total assessed loss will be increased to $25,000 ($20,000 x 1.25 = $25,000). This increase is intended to compensate them for other losses such as the costs associated with temporary accommodation.

Key points about Fast Track assessment

1. The loss assessor will only assess building losses (for owner-occupiers or landlords) or contents losses (for tenants) and apply the Court-approved multiplier to that assessed amount.
   
   
   • For owner-occupiers or landlords, the assessed loss will only be building losses. Contents losses and other types of losses, such as vehicles, fences, gardens, pontoons or inconvenience damages, will not be separately assessed. The multiplier is intended to compensate for any non-building-related losses.
     
     
   • For tenants, the assessed loss will only be contents losses. Building losses and other types of losses, such as vehicles, fences, gardens, pontoons or inconvenience damages, will not be separately assessed. The multiplier is intended to compensate for other types of losses.
     
     
     
2. A Fast Track assessment is in lieu of any other assessment process set out in the Settlement Scheme, and any election by a Contact to have a claim assessed using the Fast Track Assessment process is final. This means that a Contact cannot later elect to have their claim assessed by any other assessment process.
   
   
3. Any review of a Fast Track assessment will be limited to whether the Administrator correctly applied the Fast Track methodology and will not assess loss using an alternative methodology.