Right now Townsville is underwater, and large parts of Tasmania are on fire.

Summer in Australia has always been extreme, but some corners of the country are experiencing worse climate-driven disasters - and more of them - every year.

We hear about them as they unfold, but once the world looks away, there's a whole new set of problems that show up, including the very difficult question of who'll foot the rebuilding bill.

So with fires, floods and crazy weather predicted to become more frequent and severe, is Australia on its way to becoming uninsurable?

*Editor's note: The Australian Taxation Department's website says the flood levy was introduced to help fund the rebuilding of essential infrastructure such as roads, bridges and schools in Queensland.

Featured:

Kerry Vincent, Mayor, Sorrell Council, Tasmania

Richard Merzian, Climate and Energy Program Director, Australia Institute