As hundreds of catastrophic fires continue to burn across Australia, a specialist farm insurer has committed support to help rebuild clients’ livelihoods and the resilience of agricultural communities.
Over the last few months, the fires have claimed the lives of more than 20 people and an estimated 100,000 cattle and sheep, as well burning through more than 10 million hectares of land, including those critical to agriculture.
Emma Thomas, CEO at Achmea Australia, said the company prioritised the safety of its staff who live in fire-affected areas and are dealing with the impacts on their families and communities.
“We are offering financial assistance and emergency accommodation as required for the safety and well-being of our clients who have been impacted by the fires and had to submit a claim,” Thomas said.
The Achmea boss also said assessors have already been deployed to start evaluating the damage and are providing support in areas where it is safe to do so.
To aid Australians in this “tough and long” road to recovery, Achmea will use a direct insurance approach to work with clients in rebuilding livelihoods and getting farms back up and running, using local expertise and resources. Achmea will also engage its partners to rebuild the resilience of agricultural communities.
Achmea said it responds to the increasing threat of extreme weather events by integrating climate action into its strategy. Prior to the start of the 2019 bushfire season, the insurer launched the Achmea Bushfire Risk Mitigation Series, designed to help farmers manage on-farm risks ahead of and during the unprecedented fire conditions.
