IAG subsidiary WFI Insurance on Wednesday announced a formal partnership with Rural Aid, an independent rural charity in Australia, to support farming and rural communities before, during, and after disasters.
The partnership builds on a relationship formed in April 2025 when WFI donated A$250,000 (approx US$168k) to Rural Aid to assist farmers affected by catastrophic flooding in Western Queensland, which devastated farms, homes, and rural communities, and caused the loss of more than 150,000 livestock.
WFI Insurance executive general manager Damien Gallagher said that the company is delighted to now establish a formal partnership to support Rural Aid’s ongoing work after having seen first-hand the impact that the charity made to communities across Western Queensland.
“Our organisations share the same values and an aligned purpose — to make your world a safer place,” Gallagher added.
WFI said its network of more than 100 authorised and sales representatives live and work in rural and regional Australia, positioning the insurer close to the communities it serves and to farmers seeking protection against growing climate-related risks.
“As the severity and frequency of extreme weather events increase, on-ground disaster response partners such as Rural Aid play an increasingly important role in helping rural communities recover,” Gallagher said, underscoring the importance of sustained support to ensure that farmers can rebuild and recover in the aftermath of natural disasters.
Rural Aid chief executive officer John Warlters expressed the charity’s gratitude for WFI’s support, stating that it would help advance Rural Aid’s mission after delivering more than A$6m in assistance to farmers in the past year and more than A$125m over its 10-year history supporting disaster-affected rural communities.
“We know the terrible hardship that rural communities face in the wake of these disasters — the scale and devastation can be overwhelming. It’s only through the generous support of partners and donors such as WFI that we can make such a positive impact,” Warlters said.
