Regional Momentum Builds as NIBA Launches Agriculture and Rural Risk Forum in Orange
Media Release
The National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) is continuing its drive into regional Australia, announcing the NSW NIBA Regional Forum: Agriculture & Rural Risk, to be held in Orange on Tuesday, 22 September 2026.
Organised by the NIBA NSW/ACT Committee, the Forum will bring together brokers, underwriters, claims professionals and industry partners for a day of insight and connection in Orange, at the heart of the Central West. The program will explore the outlook for Australian agriculture, the technology reshaping how farms operate and manage risk, and the broader regional insurance landscape, including market dynamics, emerging risks and the evolving role of the broker. A dedicated Industry Expo and networking sessions throughout the day are designed to strengthen relationships across the regional insurance community.
NIBA President Nick Cook said the Orange Forum is part of a much broader and sustained regional push by the Association.
"NIBA has bult a strong focus on regional areas over the past year, and this Forum is part of that continued effort. This focus reflects the growing number of insurance professionals now working across regional areas. Over the past year, we've seen sub-committees formed and doing great work in the ACT, the Northern Territory and Tasmania, giving regional members a real voice within NIBA. Orange is the next step, giving Central West brokers a platform of their own," Nick said.
Agricultural risk demands a depth of specialised knowledge, and the Forum is designed to give brokers in the Central West direct access to that expertise. It also ensures the region is properly represented within NIBA, reflecting a broking community that is every bit as active and professional as its metropolitan counterparts, and creates a genuine meeting point for brokers, insurers, underwriting agencies and agricultural industry partners to build the relationships that underpin good outcomes for regional clients.
The Forum builds on NIBA's recent Brokers Guide, Farming the Future (March 2026), and its accompanying webinar, delivered in partnership with Allianz. NIBA 2025 Broker of the Year Caleb Richards said, “Farming operations are scaling up and adopting new technology faster than ever, and the risk on farm is evolving right alongside it. Brokers need direct access to that expertise, on the ground where clients are, not from a distance. Forums like this give brokers across the Central West, Riverina, Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA), Southern Tablelands and Macquarie Valley the chance to build that knowledge together, and make sure clients right across regional NSW get the same level of advice as anyone else.”
NIBA CEO Richard Klipin said the Forum reflects the Association’s commitment to being present in the communities its members serve.
"Farming is foundational to this country, and the brokers who support agricultural clients carry real responsibility for helping them navigate an increasingly complex risk environment. Our ‘Farming the Future’ Guide and webinar with Allianz gave brokers the knowledge. This Forum gives them the room to put it into practice, to ask questions, to hear directly from experts and from each other, and to build the relationships that make a genuine difference to regional clients," Richard said.
Those interested in attending the NSW Regional Forum: Agriculture and Rural Risk Forum can register here.