Agri-Tourism Insurance

Premiums typically range from $3,000 to $12,000 per year depending on the type and scale of your tourism activities, visitor numbers, accommodation capacity, whether alcohol is served, and your location. High-risk activities such as horse riding or adventure experiences sit at the upper end. Request a free quote through Shielded for an accurate price based on your operation.

In most cases, yes. Standard farm insurance and standard home insurance both exclude commercial accommodation. A farm stay policy or agri-tourism package covers the guest accommodation buildings, contents, loss of income, and the public liability arising from hosting paying guests.

Yes. A properly structured agri-tourism policy includes products liability for food and beverage service and liquor liability for the service of alcohol. If your cellar door is a significant part of your operation, ensure the policy specifically endorses cellar door activities and that your liquor licence details are disclosed to the insurer.

Only if you have appropriate public liability cover that specifically extends to tourism and visitor activities. Standard farm liability typically covers farming operations only. An agri-tourism policy provides public liability cover for visitor interactions, tours, accommodation, dining and other tourism activities.

Yes, though event and function hosting often requires a specific endorsement or higher liability limits. The insurer will want to know the types of events, maximum guest numbers, whether alcohol is served, and whether external caterers or vendors operate on your property. Ensure your policy is endorsed for event hosting before taking bookings.

If you sell produce directly to the public from your property, you need products liability cover at a minimum. If customers visit your property to make purchases, public liability is also essential. A basic agri-tourism endorsement on your farm policy is usually sufficient for farm gate sales alone.

Specialist rural insurers including WFI, CGU, QBE, Elders Insurance, Hollard and Zurich all offer agri-tourism cover, though eligibility and appetite vary between insurers and activities. At Shielded, we compare options across these insurers to find the right combination of cover for your specific tourism operation.

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.