South Australia used to have a single government CTP insurer. It now runs a choice model, so CTP still arrives with your registration but you select which approved insurer underwrites it.
That change is recent enough that many South Australians have never actively chosen, and are simply carrying whichever insurer they were allocated when the scheme changed.
You nominate an approved CTP insurer when you register or renew. Anyone who does not choose is allocated one. Because the transition happened relatively recently, a large number of drivers are still with a default allocation rather than a deliberate choice — and switching is a matter of nominating a different insurer at renewal.
The state's CTP Regulator oversees the scheme, approves the insurers and publishes premium information. The statutory benefits do not vary between them, so the comparison is on price and on whatever service or bundled extras an insurer offers alongside.
Adelaide premiums are moderate by national standards, and South Australia sees fewer severe storm events than the eastern seaboard. What changes the picture is distance: large parts of the state put considerable kilometres between a breakdown and the nearest repairer, which raises the practical value of towing limits and roadside assistance radius well above what an Adelaide-only driver would need.
Yes. South Australia moved from a single government insurer to a choice model, so you nominate an approved insurer at registration or renewal. If you do not choose, one is allocated.
Nominate a different approved insurer when you renew your registration. Because the statutory cover is identical, switching does not change what you are covered for.
No. CTP covers injury to people only, in South Australia as everywhere else. Damage to any vehicle needs third party property damage at minimum.
Medicare Levy Surcharge thresholds and government rebate percentages are reviewed regularly, so this page does not quote them. For the current figures see the ATO and the government's privatehealth.gov.au.
