Guide•Recovery•12 min read
A state-by-state walkthrough for Australian tradies. Which portal, what to put in the narrative, what insurers actually ask for, and the common mistakes that get claims bounced.
Published
TL;DR
"Police report" is shorthand. Different state forces use different forms, different portals and different phone lines. Different insurers want slightly different versions of the same artefact. Here is the version that gets your claim across the line.
Two things, almost always.
Good to have alongside: a copy of the narrative you submitted (so the insurance claim says the same thing as the police report), and any reference numbers from your insurer once the claim is open.
Online portals are for after-the-fact reporting of property crime where there is no immediate threat. Ring 000 if:
For everything else — you came back to an empty trailer, the shed was rolled overnight, the toolbox was lifted while you were at the shops — the state portal or 131 444 is the right channel.
Online URLs change. We list the current entry points we know about — always verify on the state police home page before submitting.
The narrative is your version, in your words. Most portals give you 1,000 to 3,000 characters. The structure that consistently works for property crime reports:
A police narrative reading "tools stolen, no leads" is the default. A narrative reading "tools stolen, last known location at 23 Example Street, Suburb at 03:47am" is the version police can act on. TTT exports the location history and tamper timeline as a PDF you can attach to the police report and the insurance claim. That is the gap between data-rich and data-poor reports — and it is the gap that most often turns into a recovery.
Put a tracker on the gear before the next reportFAQ
Common questions tradies ask after reading this one.
Yes — for property crime with no known suspect and no immediate threat, every state's online portal accepts the report. The portal will ask you to confirm there is no live threat and no known offender.
Read the policy. Most are 24 to 72 hours. Some are stricter. Lodge the same day if you can. If you miss the window, lodge anyway and immediately ring your insurer to explain the delay — late beats never.
Usually no, unless there is forced entry to a dwelling or an immediate suspect. Most tool thefts are handled as a file note via the online portal. That is fine — the event number is what matters for the claim.
Yes — the business owner or a foreman can lodge for company-owned gear. The employee will usually be listed as a witness. For personally-owned tools, the employee lodges in their own name.
Ring the event number through to the state line and update the report. If your insurer has already paid out, the recovered gear belongs to them — let both parties know before anything moves.
Keep reading
Tools nicked? Here's exactly what to do.
A first-hour playbook for tradies who have just discovered the gear is gone. What to do in the first 5 minutes, the first hour, the first 24 hours and the first week. No fluff.
How to claim tool theft on insurance (and actually win).
What insurers actually ask for, in the order they ask for it. How to build a claim pack that gets paid. The reasons claims fail — and how to fix them in advance.
Finding your nicked tools on Facebook Marketplace.
Where stolen kit ends up, how to search effectively, what to do if you find your gear — and what NOT to do. The line between useful and dangerous is shorter than it looks.
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