From 2017 to 2020, some $23 million was spent upgrading the city's levee to protect Central Wagga from one-in-100-year floods.

Despite the added protection, some insurers continue to class parts of Central Wagga as being at high risk of flooding.

One resident of Kincaid Street, who asked to remain unnamed, received a renewal notice from her insurer requesting almost $5000 for home and contents insurance.

The bill was a substantial increase from the $2100 she paid for the same coverage last year and was paired with an explanation that her home was considered to be in a high risk flood area.

"I nearly fell over with surprise when I realised there was a 150 per cent increase," she said. "I couldn't believe it because I knew the council here had done mitigation and had raised the levee."

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The Insurance Council of Australia has confirmed insurance providers have access to the recently revised flood maps, but a spokesperson said the companies use "a number of factors" to determine their prices.

These factors have been questioned by the Kincaid Street resident, who said she did not understand how her premium could increase so much when protection has been improved.

"I would like to know, based on science and evidence, why Central Wagga has been designated a high risk flood area," she said.

Prior to its construction following the 2012 floods, the upgraded city levee was touted to dramatically reduce flood insurance premiums for Wagga residents by the National Insurance Brokers Association.

Wagga City Council has been contacted by multiple residents with insurance premium concerns and reached out to insurers seeking an explanation.

"The explanation given to council for why premiums remain high for some properties is that the premium is calculated on the basis of a much larger flood event than a one-in-100-year flood," a council spokesperson said.

"This type of event would overtop the levee and hence the risk from flooding remains part of the premium calculation."

Soaring construction costs have also been used to explain jumps in insurance payments for households and the Kincaid Street resident said this meant she was prepared to pay an extra $300 or $400 this year.

"I knew that because of what's been going on that insurance bills would be going up and that was fine, but $3000 extra is obscene - that is gouging," she said.

The resident's insurance provider did not respond to The Daily Advertiser's requests for comment.

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