Tasmania's compulsory injury cover is provided by the Motor Accidents Insurance Board, a state-owned insurer, with the premium collected alongside your registration. There is no provider to choose.
Tasmania also has one of the more distinctive claims profiles in the country, and it has little to do with other cars.
The MAIB provides benefits on a largely no-fault basis, so an injured person can receive medical and income support without first proving who caused the crash. It is funded through the registration premium and, like every compulsory scheme in Australia, covers injury only.
Tasmania has among the highest rates of vehicle collisions with animals in the country, concentrated at dawn and dusk on rural roads. It is a genuine and frequent cause of damage, and it is only covered by comprehensive — hitting an animal is not fire, not theft, and not another party's property. For a state where premiums are otherwise low, that is the strongest argument against stepping down a level.
Optional cover in Tasmania is generally among the cheaper in the country, helped by lower density and lower theft rates. The trade-off is a smaller repairer network and parts often coming across Bass Strait, which can stretch repair times well beyond mainland expectations. A hire car benefit is worth more here than the premium suggests.
It is included with your registration through the Motor Accidents Insurance Board. There is no separate policy to buy and no insurer to choose.
Only comprehensive does. It is not covered by third party property damage or by fire and theft, which matters in Tasmania given how frequent animal strikes are.
Optional cover generally prices lower than the mainland average, helped by lower density and theft rates. The offsetting factor is longer repair times when parts have to come across Bass Strait.
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.
