Gym Owner Fights for Insurance After 2022 Floods

By Anna McGuinness

ABC Central Victoria

Topic: Insurance

Saturday, 1 Aug 2026, at 7:30 am

TR Keller and Alex Griffiths have been fighting for insurance for almost four years after a storm claim.

In short

Adam Griffiths is the only business owner on his street whose insurer has not paid out for a storm claim from 2022.

Experts do not agree if stormwater caused damage to his gym before the river flood arrived.

What's next?

Mr. Griffiths hopes to reopen his complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

Almost four years after the 2022 floods in Victoria, a small business is still fighting its insurer.

Adam and Alex Griffiths' gym was one of six businesses on the same street without flood cover.

Adam Griffiths is seen in the floodwater inside his gym on October 14, 2022.

Five businesses had their storm cover decision overturned by their insurers, but the Griffiths' insurer, Hollard, has not.

Only Hollard has maintained its denial of the claim.

Mr. Griffiths said he would have been covered if he had partnered with another insurer.

He finds it disappointing that the company can watch the damage and say no to his claim.

Record rainfall

Fitness classes were running as normal in the gym on the morning of October 13, 2022.

But Mr. Griffiths saw signs of the coming flood as water filled the street and crept up his car park.

Alex and Adam Griffiths are seen with their dogs inside their Seymour gym.

Mr. Griffiths said stormwater damaged the gym in the afternoon, well before the floodwaters arrived.

The Goulburn River at Seymour peaked at 8.26 meters, marking the town's worst flood in over 100 years.

Wallis Street is seen at 6:50 pm on October 13, 2022, looking towards the Goulburn River.

Hollard declined an interview but said they engaged an expert hydrologist to review the claim.

The company will work with the customer if they provide more information or seek further review from AFCA.

To rebuild the gym, Mr. Griffiths worked a second job in sales.

'Ridiculous' situation

Courtney Carroll owns the Stihl Shop two doors down and said the street was like a lake at 10 am on October 13.

Water flooded the car park outside the Stihl Shop on Wallis Street.

The water was in her business around 5 pm to 6 pm before the flood came through later.

Her stormwater inundation claim was originally denied but later overturned.

She questions how her business and others got an inundation claim while the Griffiths did not.

They proved they were inundated with water from the gutters before the flood.

Shaun McCormick has relocated his business from Wallis Street since the floods.

Another business owner, Shaun McCormick, finds the situation facing Mr. Griffiths ridiculous.

He thinks it should have been dealt with years ago and more should have been done to help.

Experts disagree

Seymour-based insurance consultant TR Keller has acted on behalf of the six businesses.

He said insurers rely on expert reports without questioning the evidence themselves.

The gym was sandbagged to try to prevent water damage.

There was additional evidence to show it was stormwater that caused the damage.

But Hollard's expert says it was all floodwater, and the insurer will not change its decision.

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority upheld Hollard's refusal last year.

It found there was not enough evidence to prove stormwater alone caused the damage.

Mr. Griffiths hopes a third hydrologist's evidence will be enough to reopen the complaint.

He finds it energy-sapping to always hear no when he feels he is right.

We'll do whatever we can.

See more ABC coverage in your search results

ABC Emergency

Plan for an emergency

Luyện nghe

Luyện nghe