Rabobank announces bushfire support measures

Agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank has announced a range of support measures to assist farming clients impacted by severe bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland.

Rabobank group executive Country Banking Australia Marcel van Doremaele said the bank’s staff in bushfire-affected regions were in the process of contacting clients to check on their safety and welfare and offer assistance where required.

“These catastrophic fires have impacted widespread areas in these regions and resulted in tragic loss of lives and homes. While a lot of the impact so far appears to be focussed on bushland areas, there has been some agricultural land affected, although it is still too early to assess the full extent of loss and damage to livestock, pasture, crops and farm infrastructure,” he said. “Added to that, we have the significant risk of ongoing fire activity, with severe weather conditions expected tomorrow and in the weeks and months ahead.”

Mr van Doremaele said the bank would work individually with clients whose farms or agribusinesses had been impacted by bushfires to support them through the immediate difficulties and provide a range of assistance measures in applicable circumstances.

These included:

• deferral of scheduled loan payments,
• waiver of break costs on early redemption of farm management deposits to allow access to needed funds,
• waiver of fees on loan increases necessary for rebuilding operations and
• waiver of fees for equipment finance variations.

Mr van Doremaele said farming clients who been impacted by the bushfires, and had not yet spoken to the bank, should contact their local branch or phone Rabobank on 1800 025 484.

Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is a part of the global Rabobank Group, the world’s leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking. Rabobank has 120 years’ experience providing customised banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness. Rabobank is structured as a cooperative and operates in 38 countries, servicing the needs of approximately 8.4 million clients worldwide through a network of more than 1000 offices and branches. Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is one of Australasia’s leading agricultural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the region’s food and agribusiness sector. The bank has 93 branches throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Media contacts:

Denise Shaw
Head of Media Relations
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand 
Phone: 02 8115 2744 or 0439 603 525 
Email: denise.shaw@rabobank.com  

Skye Ward
Media Relations Manager
Rabobank Australia
Phone: 02 4855 1111 or 0418 216 103