APRIL 3, 2017: I am demanding that all insurance companies give work to local builders and tradesman for Cyclone Debbie recovery work rather than bringing in out-of-towners.I've already heard reports today that builders from out of town have started work in the Mackay area.  I had discussions with the Insurance Council of Australia as well as a number of individual insurance companies last week to request that this not happen.I have told them that local tradies must come first, and have asked the ICA to ensure that their Catastrophe Taskforce understands how serious this is for workers on the ground.And I am asking the question of every individual insurance company; ‘How much work are you providing to local businessmen and tradespeople?’ and ‘Please prioritise local builders, who have been doing it tough for the last three years’.Work obviously needs to go to licensed tradespeople, and the advice from the ICA is that the Queensland Building and Construction Commission have started a register of licensed tradesmen who are keen to do some of this work.I would ask every builder, bricklayer, cabinetmaker, tiler, every tradesman in the building trade, to get their name on that register.Insurers can then go to the QBBC website and search by region for licensed trades.This register will ask for information such as your licence number, profession, areas you are willing to work, when you are available etc.Go to https://my.qbcc.qld.gov.au/myQBCC/s/assistance-search to register.I will continue to push for all insurance companies to give work to suitably qualified local tradespeople first, before seeking tradesmen and women from outside the region as we go through the extensive Cyclone Debbie reconstruction phase.