MEDIA RELEASE

 

As communities continue to face the impacts of bushfires in Victoria, flash flooding along the Great Ocean Road, and flooding across Northern Queensland, specialist insurer Achmea Farm Insurance is focused on connecting with its clients to understand the impact of the events to support their recovery. Achmea Farm Insurance’s teams are actively assisting clients to lodge claims, access support and begin their recovery journey safely.

Achmea Farm Insurance CEO Emma Thomas emphasised the critical role of their in-house Claims Team in helping farmers recover and get back to business.

“As these catastrophes began to unfold, our Claims Team immediately started working with impacted clients,” Emma said.

Achmea Farm Insurance has seen an increase in claims across property, fencing and livestock, as well as flood-related damage to machinery and electrical equipment.

Concurrently, Achmea Farm Insurance’s local team of Farm Insurance Specialists, who live and work in the impacted communities, are proactively reaching out to clients to offer support and guidance.

“Disasters like bushfires and floods are not just about physical losses; they also impact mental health and wellbeing. That’s why we start by checking in with our clients; asking what they need right now, and then progress the claims process at a pace that suits them. In my experience, this personal approach always makes a difference, and even more so when losses are severe.”

Emma also acknowledged the strength of farming communities during these challenging times and expressed gratitude to all emergency personnel and volunteers working tirelessly to protect lives, animals, property and communities.

“Amid the devastation, we also hear stories of resilience, how homes and livestock have been saved, neighbours helping neighbours, and farming communities pulling together. These moments of solidarity show the strength of agricultural communities in the face of adversity,” she said.

The recent disasters underscore the importance of preparedness, Emma noted.

“The scale of the devastation highlights the challenges farmers face. Heading into summer, many farmers took proactive steps to prepare for these catastrophes, such as creating firebreaks, cleaning gutters, clearing drains, moving stock and sandbagging. But conditions can change quickly, as we have seen with the extreme heat and winds in Victoria quickly intensifying the fire danger, and the heavy rainfall in Northern Queensland from ex-tropical cyclone Koji causing major flooding,” Emma explained.

As summer continues to bring ongoing risks of bushfires, storms and heavy rainfall, Emma encouraged farmers to take the time to review their insurance coverage.

“In our experience, taking a moment now to review your insurance can help reduce the likelihood of underinsurance and stay prepared for the unexpected,” she said.

For those not directly impacted by these recent weather events, Achmea Farm Insurance suggests a couple of practical steps to help reduce the risk of underinsurance:

  • Check your assets: confirm all assets are listed on your policy, including any recent purchases or construction.
  • Update sums insured: confirm that your sums insured reflect current replacement or rebuild costs.
  • Review your coverage: consider whether your current cover provides adequate protection to manage cash flow during rebuilding or operational disruptions.
  • Communicate changes: let your insurer know about any changes on your farm to ensure your policy reflects your current needs.

“Our purpose is to keep farmers farming, because their work is essential to producing food for Australia and globally. That commitment drives everything we do. We will work closely with our clients to help them recover and rebuild, so they can return to doing what they do best.”

Impacted clients can contact Achmea Farm Insurance’s Claims Team to begin the claims process using their preferred method of communication:

 

 

 

Media contact
Ilse van de Meent
General Manager, Marketing and Communications
0428 750 861
[email protected]

About Achmea Farm Insurance
Achmea Farm Insurance is a specialist, local and direct farm insurer with a co operative heritage, focused keeping farmers farming. Achmea is part of international financial services provider Achmea, which serves 13 million clients worldwide.

This information is general information only and does not consider your individual objectives, financial advice or needs. Read the relevant PDS and TMD available on www.achmea.com.au/important-documents before making any decisions.