Understanding your Home and Contents Insurance cover
Important notice
This is a summary of key features of Westpac Home and Contents Insurance provided by Allianz. It doesn’t provide a complete statement of the cover offered, exclusions, conditions and limits that may apply. You should read the Product Disclosure Statement for more details on what’s covered and what may not be covered.
Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (PDF 991KB)Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (PDF 991KB)
What’s covered?
Building insurance is designed to cover the physical structures and fixtures that make up your buildings. This includes the house, garage, fences and paved driveways - even built-in appliances such as hot water systems, air-conditioners and more.
Refer to page 24 of the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (PDF 991KB)Refer to page 24 of the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (PDF 991KB)
Covered by Building insurance
Covered by Contents insurance
Contents insurance covers the belongings you have at the insured address. This includes appliances, furniture, carpet and BBQs. It even includes your clothes, shoes and handbags.
Refer to page 32 of the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (PDF 991KB)Refer to page 32 of the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (PDF 991KB)
Covered by Contents insurance
Covered by Building insurance
For some items, a maximum limit is placed on how much you can be covered for. For some items you can ask to specify a replacement value above the standard limit. To see the limits and find out if the limit can be increased refer to the table on page 36 (PDF 991KB)page 36 (PDF 991KB) of the Product Disclosure Statement.
Refer to page 36 of the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (PDF 991KB)Refer to page 36 of the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (PDF 991KB)
What you are covered for under each of the insured events
There may be exclusion periods and conditions for each event. Please refer to the relevant page in the Product Disclosure Statement.
Buildings and/or contents
Loss or damage caused by:
- fire
- bushfires and grassfires, or
- smoke.
Buildings and/or contents
Loss or damage caused by:
- storm
- cyclone
- rainwater
- run-off.
Loss or damage caused by or arising from:
- soil movement, including erosion
- landslide
- mudslide, or
- subsidence
if it is caused directly by and occurs within 72 hours of a storm.
Buildings and/or contents
Loss or damage resulting directly from bursting, leaking, discharging or overflowing of any:
- domestic home appliances – for example a dishwasher or washing machine
- fixed rainwater or hot water tanks
- radiators and oil heaters
- fixed pipes, gutters or drainpipes, sinks, baths or water carrying apparatus
- waterbeds
- aquariums designed to hold more than 20L
- swimming pools or spas.
Buildings
- Loss or damage caused by actual or attempted theft or burglary.
Up to $1,000 to replace the locks or cylinders of any external door or window if:
- the key is stolen, or
- there are reasonable grounds to believe that the key has been copied.
No excess applies for the replacement of locks or cylinders. The replacement of locks or cylinders will only be paid for under one section of the policy (either Buildings or Contents, not both).
Contents
- Loss or damage caused by actual or attempted theft or burglary.
- Up to $500 towards the cost of a security firm callout to your home in response to a monitored alarm signal if Allianz have agreed to pay a related claim for theft or burglary of your contents.
Up to $1,000 to replace the locks or cylinders of any external door or window if:
- the key is stolen, or
- there are reasonable grounds to believe that the key has been copied.
No excess applies for the replacement of locks or cylinders. The replacement of locks or cylinders will only be paid for under one section of the policy (either Buildings or Contents, not both).
Buildings and/or contents
- Loss or damage caused by explosion.
Loss or damage caused by or arising from:
- soil movement, including erosion
- landslide
- mudslide, or
- subsidence
if it is caused directly by and occurs within 72 hours of an explosion.
Buildings
- Accidental breakage of a fixed glass or ceramic item, like a window, cooking surface, sink or toilet.
Contents
- Accidental breakage of glass that forms part of your contents (including fixed or unfixed table tops and hanging wall mirrors).
- If you are a tenant in a rental property, accidental breakage of a fixed glass or ceramic item, like a window, cooking surface, sink or toilet will be paid for if you are legally liable as a tenant to pay for the breakage.
Buildings and/or contents
Loss or damage caused by impact from:
- any motor vehicle, train or watercraft
- an external aerial or satellite dish which collapses or breaks
- an aircraft, or anything dropped or falling from an aircraft
- space debris or debris from a rocket or satellite
- any animal, excluding any animal kept in your home building as a domestic pet, or
- falling trees or parts of trees.
Buildings and/or contents
- Loss or damage caused by vandalism or a malicious act.
Buildings and/or contents
- Loss or damage caused by lightning.
Buildings and/or contents
- Loss or damage caused by an earthquake or tsunami.
Loss or damage caused by or arising from:
- soil movement, including erosion,
- landslide
- mudslide, or
- subsidence
if it is caused directly by and occurs within 72 hours of an earthquake or tsunami.
An additional excess of $250 on top of any other excess payable under the policy applies to each earthquake and/or tsunami (including a series of earthquakes and/or tsunamis) that occurs during any consecutive 48-hour period.
Buildings and/or contents
- Loss or damage caused by a riot or civil commotion.
Buildings and/or contents
Loss or damage caused by:
- flood*
- flood water*, combined with run-off and rainwater.
Loss or damage caused by or arising from:
- soil movement, including erosion
- landslide
- mudslide, or
- subsidence
if it is caused directly by and occurs within 72 hours of a flood.
Additional benefits
This is a summary of included additional benefits. These benefits are added to your sum insured amount or are explained below. For full details of what is covered and limitations, please refer to the relevant page in the Product Disclosure Statement.
Refer to page 28-31 and 38-41 of the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (PDF 991KB)Refer to page 28-31 and 38-41 of the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (PDF 991KB)
Buildings
If your home building is damaged by an insured event during the period of insurance to such an extent that you can’t live in it, rental costs for accommodation for you and your pets will be paid for the period it reasonably takes, to repair or rebuild your home building.
Contents
If your contents are damaged by an insured event during the period of insurance to such an extent that you can’t live in your home buildings, a benefit will be paid to help you pay for alternative accommodation.
Buildings
The reasonable and necessary costs of demolition and removing debris from your insured address will be paid.
Contents
The reasonable costs of removing debris from your home building if your contents are damaged or destroyed by an insured event will be paid.
Contents
If your home building is unable to be lived in, a benefit will be paid to move and store your contents. This benefit is included in your sum insured amount.
Buildings
If you need to rebuild your home buildings after total loss or damage, Allianz will help pay the costs of architects, engineers, surveyors and solicitors.
Buildings
If your buildings are totally destroyed and need to be rebuilt and you do not already have the relevant environmental equipment, Allianz will help you make the new buildings more environmentally friendly.
Buildings
If you become permanently paraplegic or quadriplegic as a direct result of an insured event that damaged or destroyed your home buildings, the cost to modify your buildings will be paid. This benefit is included in your sum insured amount.
Buildings
If you need to rebuild your home buildings after loss or damage, Allianz will help pay the costs of complying with any statutory requirements.
Contents
Cover is provided for property belonging to your guests, visitors, domestic helpers and domestic workers, if it is lost or damaged as a result of an insured event that you are claiming for. This amount is included in your sum insured.
Contents
If you are moving house, your contents will be covered for loss or damage caused by an insured event both at your new and old address for up to 14 days after you first start to move (but not while your items are in transit).
Contents
If your refrigerator or freezer breaks down and you lose your perishable food or medicine as a result, this additional benefit will pay for you to replace it.
Available as part of your Buildings and/or Contents cover
You will be covered for up to $20 million for your legal liability for payment of compensation relating to death, injuries and illnesses and/or damage to property caused by an accident (or series of accidents) attributable to one source or originating cause. This includes cover for accidents that occur anywhere in Australia, or elsewhere in the world, when you are temporarily outside Australia – provided you normally reside in Australia.
Optional cover
(at an extra cost)
This is a summary of the optional cover you can choose to add to buildings or contents insurance, for an additional fee.
Available for Contents cover, or both Buildings and Contents cover.
Portable contents are items designed to leave your insured address with you (such as a handbag, wallet, suitcase or musical instrument) or on you (such as spectacles, sunglasses, jewellery or clothing).
Choose from two types of portable contents cover (or choose both)
- Unlisted portable contents
Choose from the available limits of cover per item and with a combined total sum insured for all items per claim for unlisted portable contents, without having to individually list these items. - Listed portable contents
You can ask to cover specific portable contents separately for their full value. These items will be covered individually for a specified amount (less any excess).
Note: Laptops, tablets, mobile phones, smart watches and other wearable technology are only covered under this option if they are specified on your policy as Listed Portable Contents. Cracked glass or screens are not covered where this is the only damage to the item.
Available for both Buildings and Contents cover
The accidental damage cover option helps cover you in the event of accidental unexpected mishaps that are caused unintentionally – giving you greater coverage for your home building and/or contents. Motor burnout is automatically included.
Available for both Buildings and Contents cover.
Motor burnout can be costly and inconvenient – especially when it happens to a major appliance, like your refrigerator, freezer or washing machine. The Motor burnout option covers you if an electrical current damages your household electrical motors.
Available for both Buildings and Contents cover.
This option is only available if:
- your Insured address is in Tasmania, Western Australia or the Australian Capital Territory,
- you engage person(s) to do domestic work related to the running of the Insured address,
- those person(s) are deemed to be employed by you under the relevant workers compensation legislation that applies in the State or Territory where your Insured address is located, and
- your current Policy schedule indicates you have Domestic workers’ compensation cover. Examples of domestic work related to the running of your Insured address may include ironing, gardening, cleaning, childcare/babysitting.
What may not be covered
You may not be covered for damage caused by, or to, items that have not been well maintained. For example, if a storm causes water damage to your ceiling, you may not be fully covered if the water entered because of a poorly maintained roof.
There are some general and additional exclusions that apply to certain insured events. For full details of what may be excluded, please refer to the relevant page in the Product Disclosure Statement.
Refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (PDF 991KB)Refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (PDF 991KB)
Exclusions may include:
Including depreciation, gradual deterioration, wear and tear or lack of maintenance.
Inherent defects including faulty design or materials, structural defects or poor workmanship.
Illegal contents or personal effects which are acquired illegally or are illegally held.
Soil movement including erosion, landslide, mudslide or subsidence unless it is directly caused by and occurs within 72 hours of an explosion, earthquake, tsunami, storm or flood.
Loss damage or theft if you leave your home unoccupied for any period longer than of 60 consecutive days, unless otherwise beforehand agreed in writing.
- If you fail to keep your home or contents in good condition, including wear and tear and lack of maintenance.
- Pre-existing damage to your home or contents.
- You carry out alterations, additions, demolition, repairs or decorations to your building with a commercial value of more than $75,000, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
- Damage deliberately caused by you, a family member or someone acting with your consent.
Home and Contents Insurance does not include investment properties.
Things you should know
There are some general and additional exclusions that apply specifically to certain insured events. For full details, please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement.
*A 72-hour exclusion period applies to some insured events. Allianz does not provide cover (where the type of cover you have under the policy provides it) for any loss of or damage to property caused by cyclone, flood, grassfires and bushfires, during the first 72 hours after you first take out or increase the cover under the policy. There are some general exclusions and additional exclusions that apply specifically to certain insured events. Make sure you check these carefully by reading the Product Disclosure Statement.
This information is general in nature and has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. The information is not advice, recommendation or opinion on any products or services provided by Westpac or third parties. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness for the information to your own circumstances and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice. For more information on any specific products or services distributed or provided by Westpac, you may wish to read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. To see some of the events covered and not covered, please refer to our Key Fact Sheets (KFS).
Home and Contents Insurance is issued by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850 AFSL 234708 (Allianz). Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 AFSL 233714 (the Bank) arranges the initial issue of the insurance under a distribution agreement with Allianz, but does not guarantee the insurance. This information does not take into account your personal circumstances. Before making a decision, please consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. For more information call 1300 650 255.
If you take out Home and Contents with Allianz the Bank will receive a commission of up to 12% of the premium, excluding Government fees and charges, plus GST.
A target market determination has been made for this product. Please visit www.westpac.com.au/tmd for the target market determination.
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