By Tania Martin
AN UPWEY woman has won the right to claim cockatoo damage on her insurance.
Kaz McKay said it was not only a win for her but also for hills residents facing thousands of dollars in damage.
She took her insurance company AAMI to the financial ombudsman after they refused to pay her claim.
Ms McKay was last week told she had won.
She said the policy was contradictory and AAMI left her no other alternative but to seek help from the ombudsman. Ms McKay joined more than 61 residents in June in a fight to curb cockatoo damage. At a public meeting residents reported more than $241,000 worth of damage to their houses.
But AAMI refused to pay up for many residents.
Ms McKay said the majority of residents at the meeting had AAMI insurance.
She said the policy stated on one page that it covered damage from animals and birds.
But on another page it stated that people were unable to claim for chewing, scratching, biting and tearing.
“There was really nothing left for us to realistically do but to appeal it,” Ms McKay said.
“My claim was relatively small ($2,000) but it was the principle of the matter.”
Ms McKay’s fence and balustrade on her balcony was destroyed by cockatoos.
She said AAMI now had to honour everyone who had the same policy affected by the bird damage.
AAMI national manager of public affairs Geoff Hughes said anyone with the same policy would be able to claim the cockatoo damage.
He said although AAMI would now have to look at the wording of the policy, it was a long and arduous process.
Ms McKay said it was great news for everyone facing massive bills to fix cockatoo damage.
Picture: Luke Plummer.
