Brett has recently joined the 360 family as Head of 360 Farm and Regional. Whilst he boasts an impressive 35 years executive experience within the insurance industry, Brett is just as well known for his love of Cricket. Brett is committed to Regional and Rural Australia, promoting thought leadership in the agricultural insurance space. Brett is excited to be working with a highly skilled team of Agri insurance specialists and is committed to providing the very best service to our Broker partners. Brett is looking forward to connecting to discuss all things Agri.

Get in touch with Brett as per details below:

Head of Farm & Regional
P. 02 9056 1473
M. +61 476 893 394
brett.williams@360uw.com.au

Getting to know Brett:

• What are you reading / watching currently?
  Legacy (about the All Blacks) and After Life Ricky Gervais.
• What is the first concert you attended?
  Mental As Anything.
• What is your most used emoji?
  I don't use them, unless a 'Thumbs up' is considered an emoji?
• If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be?
  Racehorses.
• What's the best way to start the day?
  Waking up!
• What was your first job?
  Car washer.
• Where is the most interesting place you've been?
  Any pub front bar / mixing, listening and talking to the Punters.
• What is your pet hate?
  Arrogance & rudeness.
• What's something you've been meaning to do but just haven't gotten around to it?
  Going on a cruise to watch my daughter & niece perform. They are currently working for Carnival Miami.
• What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
  Getting out to Regional / Rural Australia to see brokers.
• What are you passionate about?
  People! I genuinely love seeing people succeed and if I can do my little bit to help then this is extremely gratifying. I am also very passionate about the promotion and education of mental health , one life lost to mental health struggles is one too many.

On October 11^th, 2020, the first stage of the new mandatory safety requirements for all new and imported second hand quad bikes sold in Australia came into effect. The second and final stage of these changes applies from October 11^th, 2021. These safety measures were recommended by the ACCC in response to the on-going fatalities as a result of quad bike accidents across Australia.

Ongoing concern for quad bike fatalities

In Australia, from 2001 to 2010, there were 125 quad bike fatalities¹. This figure then increased from 2011 to 2018, taking the number to 128 fatalities¹. Between 2019 to 13 May 2021, there have been 33¹. What is most alarming about these statistics, is that there were three times as many fatalities in 2020 as there were in 2019 (24 vs 8)¹. In most cases, these fatalities were due to rollovers on ground that was either uneven or on an incline.

Changes that will affect Australian farmers

Given that quad bikes are an important tool on farms and are frequently used for mustering stock, these changes will directly affect the farming community. As mentioned above, these legislated changes have two stages.

The first stage, which came into effect on October 11, 2020, requires all new and imported second hand quad bikes to adhere to the following safety measures²:

• Testing for lateral static stability must have taken place and the angle at which the quad bike will tip onto two wheels must be displayed on a hang tag at the point of sale
• A spark arrestor must be fitted that conforms to AS 1019-2000 or the US Standard 5100-1d
• Information concerning the risk of rollovers must be included in the owner’s manual or information handbook
• A clearly legible rollover warning label must be attached and visible when the quad bike is in use
• These quad bikes must meet the requirements of the US standard ANSI/SVIA 1-2017 or the European equivalent, EN 15997:2011

The second stage, which will come into effect on October 11, 2021, will heavily affect the use of quad bikes on farms. That’s because it requires all new and imported second hand general use quad bikes to adhere to the following safety measures^3,4:

• To provide lateral toll stability the quad bike requires a minimum Tilt Table Ration (TTR) of 0.55 which means that the quad bike must not tip onto two wheels on a slope that is less than 38.81 degrees
• To provide front and rear longitudinal pitch stability, the quad bikes requires a minimum TTR of 0.8 to prevent the quad bike tipping on two wheels on a slope less than 38.65 degrees
• An operator protection device (OPD) must either be fitted to the quad bike or integrated into the design. This is aimed at protecting the rider from being crushed or pinned under the quad bike if it rolls over

At 360 Underwriting, we have experts available to discuss your specific needs. Contact one of our 360 Farm & Regional specialists today for more information.

Please note the information in this article is general in nature and should not be relied upon as advice, as it does not consider your personal needs, objectives and financial situation. The contents of this article should not be relied upon as legal advice. Please seek advice from your independent legal adviser. All coverage is subject to the specific terms and conditions contained In the Policy wording.

1. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/quad-bike-fatality-data#2020
2. https://www.productsafety.gov.au/standards/quad-bikes
3. https://www.productsafety.gov.au/standards/quad-bikes
4. https://www.productsafety.gov.au/products/transport/quad-bikes/operator-protection-devices-opds

We are delighted to announce an exciting and significant change to our Farm and Regional business.

With effect from 1st January 2021 for all new and renewal business, 360 Farm and Regional is proud to announce QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited as our sole capacity provider to our Farm business.

Having a leading Australian Insurer providing our products will enable us to expand our Farm portfolio establishing a platform for future growth.

We are excited to begin this carefully planned journey which will provide additional local capacity to Insureds at a time when capacity is challenged. We believe this will further enhance the credentials of 360 Farm and Regional as a genuine market for brokers seeking solutions in this segment.

Our 360 model stands true to its core principles and we remain a broker facing market.

360 Farm and Regional looks forward to providing even greater communication, support and service as we begin this new partnership journey with QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited.

We would also like thank our broker partners who have supported the evolution of 360 Farm and Regional, and for your patience over recent times as we secured our exciting future.

CLICK HERE to find out more about 360 Farm & Regional.

360 Underwriting Solutions is delighted to announce the following three appointments as it continues to grow its capability and ambition in the Farm and Regional segment in Australia;

• Lori Messori - National Underwriting Development Manager.
  Lori has over 35 years of General Insurance Sales, Underwriting and Distribution experience across the major insurers and International brokers in Australia. He has held key Farm & Regional roles for Elders Insurance and Landline Underwriting Agency and will be responsible for the underwriting function and profitable development of our Farm and Regional Business.
• Clare Smith - Regional Manager WA.
  Clare has an exceptional background in the WA market having spent the majority of her career working for leading brokers JLT, MGIB, EBM and Phoenix Insurance Brokers. A former Warren Tickle nominee, Clare brings a wealth of experience from her time living in Regional WA to this key role.
• Heidi Glaser - Regional Manager SA.
  Heidi has an extensive background in Commercial and Rural underwriting development from her roles at QBE and Vero over many years. Her extensive relationships in the South Australian market will be an asset for the 360 Farm business.

360 acquired the Insure That business in 2019 to obtain a footprint in the Farm market in Australia and has continued to improve its offering to position itself as a genuine alternative and solution provider for Farm Insurance for its supporting brokers.

“We are delighted with the progress we have made under the leadership of our Executive Director Matt Devine over the last twelve months and I have no doubt that these three key appointments will dramatically enhance our capability and service offering in the farm and Regional segment.” Said Denis Morrissey, co-founder and Director of 360.

Matt Devine added, “We are thrilled to welcome Lori, Clare and Heidi to the 360 Farm & Regional team. Their appointments come after an exhaustive search for an appropriate mix of culture, experience and aspirations, and is a direct reflection of our commitment to regional Australia and our core values: Solutions you want, Service you expect and People you know.”

CLICK HERE for 360 Farm & Regional Contacts

360 Underwriting Solutions has continued to deliver on its promise to be more relevant for Brokers in the Australian market by launching its Farm and Regional capability.

They have partnered with Matt Devine (formerly Agri Risk), Anthony Murphy (Red Star Insurance Brokers) and Julie Bird (Almond Board of Australia) to create an alternative solution for Brokers with Farm and Regional client needs.

Chris Lynch, Director and Co-Founder of 360 added, “Matt, Anthony and Julie have an extensive background in Farm Broking, Underwriting and Senior Corporate and Directorship roles in the Farming sector that provides us with a depth of experience and capability to drive our ambition in the Farm and Regional market. We are delighted that they have chosen 360 as a partner to build an Underwriting Agency solution for Brokers.”

The business will trade as “360 Farm and Regional.”

Immediately following the announcement of this partnership, the 360 Farm and Regional team has also announced that it has acquired a majority stake in the Farm and Regional Underwriting Agency, Insure That.

“The Insure That acquisition provides us with an entry into the Farm Insurance Market and a wonderful foundation to focus our efforts to deliver our Broker partners with a range of solutions for their farming clients. We now have a suite of Farm products, the Insure That team, which operates in all states, and a technology platform that will allow us to establish a significant presence in the market,” added fellow director and co-founder Denis Morrissey.

The current Managing Director of Insure That Peter Hayward will stay on in the business in an advisory capacity