Up to one million ANZ, Westpac and Commonwealth Bank customers will share in settlements worth $126 million after being sold consumer credit insurance of little use.

The CBA has agreed to pay $50 million, ANZ $42 million and Westpac $29 million, without admitting any wrongdoing, over the sale of insurance when customers took out credit cards or personal loans.

A $5 million payment is being made by QBE Insurance regarding policies sold in relation to ANZ products.

The settlements remain subject to court approval and follow similar action against National Australia Bank in 2019 which netted 50,000 customers $49.5 million.

Lawyers Slater and Gordon said many of the banks' customers were unlikely to be able to make a claim because they were already unemployed or had pre-existing health conditions or disabilities.

Some never provided their consent to purchase the policies, were not informed that the insurance was optional, or were not told they would be charged for it.

Lead CBA plaintiff Kristy Fordham, from Queensland, was sold loan protection without requesting it despite not working at the time and suffering from serious health conditions, making her ineligible to claim.

"I believe the bank knew full well that we couldn't benefit from their products, but they deliberately sold them to us anyway," she said.

"We were all so vulnerable or else we wouldn't have needed loans from them in the first place, yet they took advantage of that, in my opinion."

Lead ANZ plaintiff Tracey Reilly, from Queensland, was sold ANZ Credit Card Protection policies without consenting but when she came to make a claim was told she was ineligible because she had pre-existing symptoms that were later diagnosed as cancer.

"I'm glad this has been completed with a great result," she said.

"Now at least people can have a portion of what they paid returned to them, as some people are going through a rough financial time, so every dollar will help."

Lead Westpac plaintiff Roger Kemp, from Western Australia, could not recall taking out his Flexi Loan Repayment Protection insurance but was also ineligible when the opportunity came to make a claim.

Slater and Gordon said customers eligible for a share in the settlements would be contacted directly.

"Taking on the big banks was never going to be easy but we are pleased that we have been able to resolve these group proceedings and that eligible customers will benefit," Class Actions Senior Associate Alex Blennerhassett said.

"Class actions are one way people can take on big corporations, including Australia's Big Four banks."

In statements the ANZ, the CBA and Westpac noted the settlements.

The ANZ stressed in a statement that the settlement was without admission of liability.

CBA said the case related to insurance sold between January 2010 and March 2018.

Westpac said the settlement was announced in its financial results this year and related to insurance sold before 2019.

© AAP 2022

Hackers behind the Medibank cyber attack have released more sensitive customer data relating to mental health treatment.

The file was posted on the dark web on Monday, where the hackers have previously published data from Australia's largest private health insurer.

It includes 500 records for people who have had diagnoses of mental illness, among other medical conditions.

The Russian criminals said they didn't plan to post more information until Friday, saying they will be watching Wednesday's Medibank shareholder meeting closely.

"There is some more records for everybody to know," they wrote in an update.

"We'll announce, that next portion of data we'll publish at Friday, bypassing this week completely in a hope something meaningful happened on Wednesday."

Medibank chief executive David Koczkar apologised for the release of the sensitive information.

"We will continue to support all people who have been impacted by this crime through our Cyber Response Support Program," he said.

"This includes mental health and wellbeing support, identity protection and financial hardship measures."

A number of health and community organisations have called on major social media outlets to pull down posts that share the sensitive information.

Meanwhile, Medibank could face legal action over the data breach.

Law firm Maurice Blackburn confirmed it was reviewing whether customers affected by the hack could be entitled to compensation.

The firm's principal lawyer Andrew Watson said the breach of data was one of the most serious seen in Australia.

"Companies that hold their customers' sensitive health information have an important obligation to make sure that information is safeguarded, commensurate with the sensitivity of that data," he said.

"Medibank have a heightened responsibility to put in place greater safeguards to secure the personal and health claim information it collected from its customers."

As the government looks for solutions to improve cyber security laws, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil has flagged it could soon be illegal for companies to pay ransom demands to hackers should they be subject to a data breach.

"The way we're thinking about the reform task ... is a bunch of quick wins, things that we can do fast, and the standing up of the new police operation is one of those," Ms O'Neil told the ABC's Insiders on Sunday.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said he welcomed the idea of banning ransoms from being paid but indicated other measures needed to be considered.

"We need a holistic review about whether too much data is being kept in the first place, because once you collect all of that data it will be a target for hackers," he told reporters in Melbourne.

"We need an overall review of whether corporations are keeping too much data in the first place as well as whether that data is being properly secured."

Mr Bandt said the matter of whether Medibank customers should receive compensation following the hack should be considered.

"It will be much better to prevent these kinds of attacks from occurring and prevent people's privacy being exposed because if the data wasn't kept in this way in the first place, people might be safer," he said.

© AAP 2022

Australia is planning a two-pronged approach to trade by reducing the nation's dependence on China, and advocating for the removal of $20 billion sanctions through a face-to-face meeting with Xi Jinping.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will land in Bali on Monday evening to attend the G20 leaders' summit following a weekend in Phnom Penh for the East Asia and ASEAN summits.

If the meeting with Mr Xi goes ahead, it will be the first time leaders of the two countries have held talks in in six years.

Mr Albanese briefly met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit.

A Chinese media report after the meeting quoted Mr Li as saying China was ready to "meet Australia halfway" and work to promote "sustained, sound and steady" growth in relations.

In a keynote speech ahead of the G20 summit, Trade Minister Don Farrell said Australia needed to diversify its trade relationships, with the geo-strategic case for a European Union free trade deal having strengthened.

"Increasingly, economic policy and national security policy are intertwined - a resilient Australian economy underpins national security," he told the RMIT APEC Study Centre.

"It is no longer possible, if it ever was, to insulate our trade policy from geopolitics."

Senator Farrell indicated Mr Albanese would tell the Chinese president the removal of $20 billion in trade barriers would be crucial for the relationship between Canberra and Beijing returning back to normal.

The minister said while Chinese duties on barley and wine were being formally challenged through the World Trade Organisation system, Australia was open to discussing "possible off-ramps" to get a mutually agreed solution.

On Sunday, the final day of the Cambodian summit, the prime minister had a 40-minute catch-up with US President Joe Biden.

The pair discussed security deals, the climate and engagement with the Pacific.

But Mr Albanese would not reveal if the president gave him any clues about what he will discuss with Mr Xi.

"President Biden can speak for himself and I'll speak for myself on the terms in which Australia engages," he told reporters in Phnom Penh

"(Australia) will engage constructively in dialogue with the countries that wish to engage with us.

"I've said that we should co-operate with China where we can and that's what we're doing."

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has invited Mr Albanese to give a keynote speech at the B20 meeting, which brings together business and political leaders from the world's strongest economies.

Global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and taming inflation impacting economies will be key themes of his speech.

Mr Albanese will make a pitch to world leaders to work together in all nations' interests by reducing tariff obstructions and increasing trade agreements.

"We can achieve far more together than we ever will alone," he will say.

"Recovering stronger depends on recovering together."

Tackling climate change will also feature heavily during the summit.

The prime minister will urge governments and businesses to invest in clean energy sources and spruik Australia's role in the global transition to renewables.

"We know Australia can be a renewable energy superpower and we are working to grow our clean energy export industry," he will say.

"We are committed to co-operating with other nations to help reduce their emissions, grow their economies and improve living standards."

Leaders will also discuss global food insecurity, worsened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as the global response to pandemics.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said there needed to be a broad review into whether trade deals delivered for Australia, and he wanted to see a de-escalation in tensions with China for the region.

"I wish the government well in re-establishing a better relationship with China," he said.

© AAP 2022

People stranded in roof-high floodwaters in an inundated NSW town have been rescued after storms hit the central west, bringing widespread rain that's led to flash flooding as more people are told to evacuate from rising waters that have left towns isolated.

The force of the floodwaters smashed shop windows and knocked out the back wall of a local supermarket in the central-western town of Molong, a statement from NSW Fire and Rescue said on Monday.

Fire and Rescue crews in Molong rushed to action around midnight, helping the State Emergency Service and other agencies door-knocking threatened homes and evacuating people.

A makeshift landing strip was established, with flashing lights on the oval of the Molong Central School, to guide an ADF helicopter to help rescue people trapped in floodwater and conduct medical retrievals.

Fire crews also rescued two people and their dog from knee-deep water inside a house and another couple from the top floor of a motel.

The firefighters and a police officer waded through chest-high water to reach another woman stranded in her inundated home.

At least two large shipping containers were carried through the centre of the historic town by floodwaters and are blocking the Mitchell Highway.

Roadblocks have been established to prevent heavy vehicles passing through the floodwaters and causing further damage and an evacuation centre has been opened at the RSL club.

Cabonne Mayor Kevin Beatty, whose territory includes Molong, says the picturesque town is devastated, with shops in the main street inundated and people evacuated from homes and motels.

Firefighters say floodwaters are receding and they have begun clearing a large amount of mud and debris from Molong's streets.

The SES responded to 33 flood rescues and 462 requests for help in the 24 hours to Monday morning.

It said a rescue was under way for a man trapped in his car in the central-western town of Alectown who called for help just before 4am on Monday.

Police and Rural Fire Service personnel have spotted the vehicle and a helicopter has been deployed to help rescue the man.

Storms hit across the central west on Sunday and overnight, prompting three new evacuation orders including for people in low-lying areas of Eugowra, where flash-flooding is occurring as river levels continue to rise.

People in low-lying parts of the central-western town of Canowindra have also been urged to evacuate immediately because of high river levels and dangerous flash flooding.

An evacuation centre has opened at the local public school after the town recorded 99mm of rain in six hours overnight.

Condobolin copped 80mm of rain overnight, causing the Lachlan River to rise to 7.3 metres, with expectations it could exceed the June 1952 record and cause major flooding at Nanami, Forbes and Cottons Weir.

The Bureau of Meteorology says the Lachlan River at Cowra could reach 11.3m on Monday, with moderate flooding and further rises possible as more rain is forecast.

In the southern border town of Albury, the SES was called to rescue two children playing in a stormwater drain on Sunday, while the SES helped rescue people from six vehicles in the central-western town of Woodstock after a bridge was washed away.

The bureau says the immediate threat of severe thunderstorms has passed but the situation will be monitored and further warnings issued if necessary.

SES Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan said flooding would continue to affect multiple communities in inland NSW this week.

The SES is delivering food, medicine and animal feed to 1000 residents cut off by floodwaters since severe weather began in mid-September and has carried out 500 flood rescues.

© AAP 2022