NEWS RELEASE 12TH SEPTEMBER 2000
NEW INSURANCE COVER FOR LIFESTYLE BLOCKS
Specialist rural financial services provider, Farmers’ Mutual Group, has developed an insurance package to meet the
needs of an increasing number of people living in the country on lifestyle holdings.
“Moving into the country from urban New Zealand exposes people to new risks, some of which may not be readily apparent
and therefore are not covered by their insurer”, says Farmers’ Mutual Group Manager – General Insurance, Alister Martin.
The new Lifestyle general insurance policy is modular, enabling it to be specifically tailored to the needs of those
living on smaller rural holdings. The core policy covers the dwellings on the property, contents, and private, farm and
commercial vehicles. In addition to the core policy, cover can be provided for any farm buildings and livestock.
Prior to developing the Lifestyle , Farmers’ Mutual surveyed the needs of people living in the country on smaller
holdings.
This established that there was a need for a product that covered all risks in a single comprehensive policy, that
people only wanted to deal with one insurer and that they wanted the premium to be competitive.
The Ministry of Agriculture briefing paper to the incoming Minister of Agriculture, Hon Jim Sutton, stated that there
are some 100,000 lifestyle blocks throughout New Zealand.
This growth in the number of smaller rural holdings, might have been seen as an incursion into productive farmland five
years ago, but is viewed more positively today.
People on smaller holdings, who are often professionals with a city income, are providing work for rural contractors and
businesses. They make a valuable contribution to rural towns and, more often than not, their children are ensuring the
survival of rural schools.
Many of Farmers’ Mutual staff, all of who are salaried and do not work for commissions, live on smaller rural
properties. As members of rural communities, they understand the needs of those who have chosen to live in the country.
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Our people are able to visit clients on their farms or workplaces in order to help them determine the type of cover best
suited to their needs.
Farmers’ Mutual believes the new Lifestyle Cover general insurance policy to be the most comprehensive and best-priced
product on the market.
“As a long-established specialist rural provider, Farmers’ Mutual best understands rural communities. This enables us to
develop products, such as the Lifestyle Cover, that meet our customers’ needs and, because we understand the risks
involved, to deliver such products at an extremely competitive price,” says Mr Martin.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Murray Woofe
Business Development Manager
Farmers’ Mutual Group
Telephone: 06 351 8863 DDI
0800 366 466
Issued by Shandwick International on behalf of Farmers’ Mutual Group