Achmea

Specialist agricultural insurer Achmea Australia is providing direct support to cattle farmers impacted by the recent devastating floods.

Through a strategic collaboration, Achmea Australia and Angus Australia are working together to support farmers through sharing risk management strategies and best practices, and promoting sustainability.

Richard Officer, Achmea Australia’s National Strategic Alliance Manager, said in line with its purpose of keeping farmers farming, Achmea Australia’s focus is on getting clients’ operations back up and running again.

“The recent floods have had devastating impacts on cattle farming communities across some parts of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria,” Richard said. “Growing up in mixed farming outside Boomi on the northwest plains of NSW, I know how harsh mother nature can be.”

“For cattle farmers, there is the unpredictability of the flood itself, with choosing the right location to move livestock, concerns about fencing and lack of feed. When waters have receded, you have ongoing risks to livestock health, reduced pasture quality and concerns around the availability of hay,” Richard explained.

“It is during these times that farming communities really show their resilience, but it can be a long road to recovery.”

Danielle Whitelock, General Manager – Client Experience, has led Achmea Australia’s team of Claims Specialists through several recent catastrophes including bushfires, cyclones and floods. Danielle shares her strategies to help agribusinesses in their post-disaster recovery, with mental health support a priority.

1. Mental health support. Dealing with the effects of a disaster can have an emotional impact, and it is important to check in with yourself, your family, friends and neighbours and ask: ‘R U OK?’.

Professional mental health support is available from organisations such as Beyond Blue, Lifeline Australia, or your local GP or mental health practitioner.

2. Check your policy and Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). As part of the claims process, it is worth reviewing these important insurance documents to check what you are covered for.

3. Provide detail. When you are ready to lodge a claim with your insurer, be prepared to provide a detailed description of what has happened. If English is your second language, it may be beneficial to have a support person or an interpreter with you to assist with your claim.

4. Gather information to provide evidence. If you have documentation to support your claim, such as receipts, videos or photos for the item(s) you wish to repair or replace, have it ready to use as supporting evidence. 5. Ask for help if you need it. If you are suffering financial hardship because of the event, speak to your insurer. Most insurers will have a financial hardship policy, or they may be able to refer you to external counselling or financial assistance.

“When someone experiences a major catastrophe, it is common to feel overwhelmed,” Danielle said.

“At Achmea Australia, our focus is on knowledge-sharing, prevention and risk mitigation to help even the most seasoned agribusiness prepare for and recover from these unprecedented events.”

To find out more about the strategic alliance between Angus Australia and Achmea Australia, please visit www.achmea.com.au/strategic-alliances.

Insurance issued by Achmea Schadeverzekeringen N.V. (Achmea) ABN 86 158 237 702 AFSL 433984.

The information in this document is general advice only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs (your personal circumstances). This means any advice may not be appropriate for your circumstances. Before using this information to decide whether to purchase the insurance policy, you will need to consider the appropriateness of any general information or advice we give you and how it relates to your specific situation to ensure the insurance cover meets your needs and the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination (TMD) available from the ‘Downloads’ section of our website achmea.com.au/downloads. For feedback and complaints, visit achmea.com.au/complaints. To view Achmea Australia’s privacy statement, visit achmea.com.au/privacy. Achmea Australia does not warrant that the information contained herein is accurate, reliable, complete or up to date, and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, disclaims all liability of Achmea Australia and its Associates for any loss or damage suffered by any person by reason of the use by that person of, or their reliance on, any information contained in this document or any error or defect in on this document, whether arising from the negligence of Achmea Australia or its Associates or otherwise.

About Achmea Australia

Achmea Australia is part of the Achmea Group, which is one of the largest insurance companies in the Netherlands. The Achmea Group has approximately 13 million clients worldwide and is fully dedicated to farm insurance in Australia. Insurance issued by Achmea Schadeverzekeringen N.V. (Achmea) ABN 86 158 237 702 AFSL 433984.

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