Agistment Property Insurance

The additional cost of ensuring your farm policy covers agistment activities is typically modest, ranging from a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars per year on top of your standard farm package premium. The exact cost depends on stock numbers, property size, fencing quality and liability limits. Contact Shielded for a tailored assessment.

As the property owner, you may be held liable if the stock escaped due to inadequate fencing or gate security on your property. Your public liability policy should cover the claim, provided agistment is a covered activity. Claims from livestock-vehicle collisions can be substantial, running into hundreds of thousands of dollars for serious injuries.

While not legally required in all states, a written agistment agreement is strongly recommended and most insurers expect one to be in place. It clarifies insurance responsibilities, liability allocation, stock health requirements and dispute resolution, protecting both parties and supporting your insurance position if a claim arises.

You may be liable if the death was caused by your negligence, such as failure to provide adequate water, contaminated feed, toxic plants you knew about, or poor fencing that allowed stock to access hazards. A care, custody and control extension on your liability policy covers this exposure. Deaths from natural causes or pre-existing conditions are generally not your liability.

Standard liability policies often exclude claims for property in your care, custody and control. For agistment, this means the agisted livestock themselves may not be covered. A care, custody and control extension removes this exclusion, providing cover if you are negligent and the stock owner's animals are injured or killed while in your care.

Yes. Before accepting stock on agistment, request a certificate of currency from the stock owner confirming their livestock insurance and public liability cover are current. This ensures that if an incident is the stock owner's fault (for example, they deliver sick or injured animals), their insurance responds rather than yours.

Farm insurers that cover agistment activities include WFI, QBE, CGU, Elders Insurance, Zurich and Hollard. Each treats agistment differently in their policy wording, with varying approaches to care, custody and control, stock number limits and agistment frequency. At Shielded, we compare these options to ensure your agistment activities are fully covered.

Australian farm insurance typically includes cover for farm buildings and structures, contents and machinery, livestock, crops, public liability, farm motor vehicles, and business interruption. Most insurers offer a farm package policy that bundles these covers together. At Shielded, we compare packages from insurers like WFI, Elders, QBE, CGU, Zurich, Hollard and others to find the right combination for your operation.

Farm insurance premiums vary significantly based on property value, location, farm type, and the covers selected. A basic hobby farm package may cost $1,500 to $4,000 per year, while a large broadacre or cattle operation could range from $5,000 to $20,000 or more. Factors like bushfire or flood risk zones, claims history, and the value of machinery and livestock all affect pricing. Request a free quote through Shielded for an accurate indication.

Crop insurance is usually an optional add-on to a standard farm package, not included by default. It protects against losses from hail, frost, fire, flood and other weather events that affect crop yield and quality. Multi-peril crop insurance (MPCI) provides broader cover but is priced based on your specific crop type, location and historical yields.

Most comprehensive farm insurance policies include cover for bushfire, storm and flood damage to buildings, contents, machinery and fencing. However, coverage limits and excesses can vary significantly depending on your property's risk rating. Properties in high-risk bushfire or flood zones may face higher premiums or specific excess levels. It is important to review your policy details and sum insured amounts regularly.

Farm liability insurance (also called public liability) protects you against claims for bodily injury or property damage caused by your farming operations. If a visitor, contractor or neighbour is injured on your property, or your livestock escape and cause damage, liability cover pays for legal costs and compensation. Most farm package policies include $10M to $20M of public liability cover as standard.

Farm machinery and equipment are typically covered under the contents and machinery section of a farm package policy. However, high-value items like harvesters, headers, tractors and irrigation equipment should be individually listed with accurate sum insured values. Portable equipment and items used away from the property may need additional cover. Review your sums insured annually as replacement costs increase.

Contact us at Shielded Insurance on 1800 97 98 99 or reach out to your insurer directly. We recommend notifying us as soon as possible after a loss event, documenting the damage with photos, and keeping records of all related expenses. Our team will guide you through the claims process.

Yes. Hobby farms and lifestyle properties can be insured under specialist rural property policies or scaled-down farm packages. These policies typically cover the dwelling, sheds and outbuildings, fencing, a small number of livestock, hobby machinery and public liability. Insurers like CGU, WFI and QBE all offer hobby farm products. Premiums are generally lower than commercial farm policies.

We compare farm insurance quotes from a wide panel of Australian rural insurers including WFI, Elders Insurance, QBE, CGU, Zurich, Hollard, Nutrien Ag Solutions and others. The best insurer for your situation depends on your farm type, location, and the specific covers you need. As brokers, we do the comparison work for you.

Review your farm insurance annually at renewal, or whenever there are significant changes to your operation - such as purchasing new machinery, building new structures, expanding acreage, adding livestock, or changing your farming activities. Building costs and machinery replacement values increase over time, so keeping your sums insured up to date is essential to avoid being underinsured at claim time.