Home robberies leave Darwin family without home insurance
A Northern Territory father claims he has been kicked to the kerb by insurance companies due to his suburb, after his home was broken into twice in six months.
Palmerston father-of-two Garth Crowhurst recently received a letter from TIO stating his home insurance would not be renewed because of multiple theft claims, and for not meeting security requirements.
Garth Crowhurst says he can't get insurance because of his suburb. 9News
"For the basic security system it was about $2700, for back to base monitoring it was an additional $50 per month," Mr Crowhurst said.
"That's just money that me and my family just cannot afford."
Mr Crowhurst said he couldn't risk the investment with no certainty TIO would play ball.
The insurer said Mr Crowhurst's home didn't meet the minimum security requirements. 9News
His family looked elsewhere, but met similarly tepid reactions from other companies.
"One actually said they don't even do the suburb of Moulden," Mr Crowhurst said.
They eventually settled on AAMI, paying a higher premium.
Mr Crowhurst has lived in Moulden for more than 10 years and said a rise in crime had taken a heartbreaking toll on his family.
"There's anxiety, there's depression, there's stress," he said.
"The fear of stepping out of your own home."
TIO told 9News they had only sent two letters like the one Mr Crowhurst received in recent months.
They said if a home had been burgled more than once over a short period, it was common for a customer to be asked to upgrade security.
NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said his government was working hard to break a cycle of crime.
"We've now got significant new consequences both at the police diversion process, or before the courts about alternatives to sentencing," he said.
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