Tasmania held its AGM on November 28.

Elected onto the committee were David Farmer as president; Paul Driessen,  from Willis Australia, as treasurer; and committee members Sally Kendall, from Zurich; Lionel Banks, from Willis Australia; Steve Knight, from M&K Dobson, Mitchell & Allport; Peter Forbes-Smith and Steve Smith, from Hunt & Hunt; Luke Taylor, from Page Seager; and William Callaway, from RACT.

The position of secretary was left vacant.

The immediate past president is Robert Webster from M&K Dobson, Mitchell & Allport.

The year began with a new chair for the WA committee.

That followed the December AGM on the same day as The Year That Was, presented by Gilchrist Connell’s Deborah Templeman. Her presentation was a fast paced 60 cases in 60 minutes covering cases from 2013.  Her paper is on the AILA website.

Susan Courthope, technical claims manager at Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd, has taken over the position of chair. Jarman McKenna partner Anton Vucak has again taken on the role of secretary and Jackson McDonald partner Alex Lustig has kept the role of treasurer.

The rest of the committee remains the same with one new addition, Caroline Rafferty, of MDD Forensic Accountants.

WA’s education committee has been active early with planning for the breakfast seminar series at the Parmelia Hilton.

The seminars kicked off in February with another presentation from barrister Bettina Mangan entitled Ethics in Settlement Negotiations (Post Agreement).  It followed Ms Mangan’s very popular 2013 presentation on the same topic.

In March, barrister Jason Raftos will present on changes to the privacy legislation.  In April, Sparke Helmore partner Joel Sheldrick will present on the latest in workers’ compensation, including the High Court decision in Comcare v PVYW.  The decision is of particular interest in WA given the number of workers’ compensation claims for fly in-fly out workers that occur on site but not in a normal period of work.

In May, Next Health consultant psychiatrist Dr Tony Mander will present on the DSM V, One year on. WA then looks forward to the Geoff Masel lecture which this year will be delivered by Justice Nicholson.

The Twilight Seminar Series is nearly finalised and details will be on the website soon.

This year’s topics include weather events, cyber insurance, civil liability, insurance law, brokers’ liability and directors’ duties.

The NSW branch is considering holding a seminar on flexibility in the workplace and associated insurance issues.  It is hoped that seminar will be in March or April.

This year’s Geoff Masel lecture will be on June 4. The speaker is Justice Kevin Nicholson of the South Australian Supreme Court.

AILA’s Young Professionals subcommittee is planning events for 2014 with the next one proposed for May.

NSW is always looking for suggestions for topics for seminars, so if you have anything you would like to see presented, please contact Penny. When details of events and seminars are finalised, they will be on the website. 

The SA committee has been hard at work setting the 2014 program, holding a planning meeting on February 6.

The first event of the year, the annual AILA/ANZIIF half-day joint seminar, General Insurance Law – An Annual Review, was on February 13 at the Crown Plaza, Adelaide.

Thanks to Sam Hilditch, Amanda Salleh, Kevin Gilchrist, Andrew Williams, Lucille Stewart and Ralph Bonig who successfully navigated delegates through the many cases.

The first breakfast briefing for the year was scheduled for March 20. Details are on the AILA website.

This year SA welcomed Emma Cocks and Dylan Steele to the committee.

I would like to acknowledge retiring treasurer Vernon Sawers, who has been a member of the SA committee and treasurer for several years. His dedication and contribution will be missed, as will his impeccable spreadsheets and reports. The committee extends its sincere thanks to Vernon.

Carlee Smyth retired from the committee at the end of 2013 and we wish her all the best as she takes a period of parental leave.

The 2014 committee members, Craig Lind (secretary), John Homburg (acting treasurer), Anthony Hillary, Barrie Datson, Scott Duel, David Farrugia, Michael Fotheringham, Mark Keam, Maria Rossi, Lucille Stewart, Lachlan Birrell, Emma Cocks, Dylan Steele and Michael Tilley, look forward to another busy year.

AILA Queensland has a new committee for 2014.

Chrissy Cheesman, from Woolworths Ltd is president; Dee Wood, from Carter Newell, is secretary; and Joanne Wilson, from Calabro SV Consulting, is treasurer.

Committee members are: Nick Burkett, Lexon Insurance; Drew Castley, DLA Piper; Robert Cooper, Cooper Professional Risks Pty Ltd; Peter Diskin, Gallagher Bassett; Michael Donnan, Suncorp Insurance; David French, Willis Australia; Berren Hamilton, Moray & Agnew; Tim Hancock, Quinlan Miller & Treston; Nhu Huynh, HWL Ebsworth; David Jesser, McInnes Wilson; Geoff Russell, Lumley Insurance; Brett Solomon, Dibbs Barker; Melanie Quixley, Barry Nilsson Lawyers; Kristi Riedel, Cooper Grace Ward; Ryan Stehlik, Carter Newell; and Rebecca Stevens, Carter Newell (immediate past president).

AILA Queensland and ANZIIF will host the annual general insurance law review in March.

AILA Queensland is excited to be hosting the AILA national conference on Hamilton Island on September 17-19.