Nature of Volunteer Insurance Cover

SAICORP covers volunteers for public liability and personal accident. Uniform cover is provided to identified volunteers on the basis detailed below. The provision of this cover represents government policy, but there is no contractual commitment entered into by the Government.

Personal Accident

Basis of settlement

The basis of calculating the amount payable under the Volunteer Cover will be determined in accordance with the following principles:

1. The amount payable will reflect and be equivalent to the benefits that would have been payable to your volunteer under the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1986 if the volunteer were your employee.
2. Weekly income is paid where a loss of income can be demonstrated, and then only up to the WorkCover ceiling.
3. For long-term incapacities, benefit reductions in line with WorkCover rules apply.
4. Lump sums for death and serious disability are paid on the same basis as the WorkCover schedule.
5. In the event of injury, Non-Medicare Medical Expenses incurred will be payable as set out below.
6. The amount of any benefit payable will take account of benefits available to the volunteer under any private health insurance fund and will be less the amounts recovered from that fund.
7. No benefit is payable in respect of the Medicare gap between payment made by Medicare and charges incurred.

For a Volunteer, Non-Medicare Medical Expenses means:

1. Expenses incurred within 12 months of the volunteer sustaining the relevant injury: and
2. Expenses paid for Doctor, Physician, Surgeon, Nurse, Physiotherapist, Chiropractor, Osteopath, Hospital and/or Ambulance services for the following treatments undertaken for that volunteer:

However, the following treatments are not covered:

1. Dental treatment, unless such treatment is necessarily required, to teeth other than dentures and is caused by the relevant injury to the volunteer.
2. Services for which the volunteer is eligible to receive Medicare benefits.

Public Liability

Any liability to a third party arising from the action or advice of a volunteer acting in accordance with the agency’s instructions is treated as if the action or advice were that of an employee.

Paid employees of volunteer groups are not covered under this insurance arrangement.

Groups that do not wish to join the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board arrangements can find insurance options on the Landcare Australia website at www.landcareonline.com.au.

Related links

• Requirements of volunteer insurance cover (fact sheet)
• Volunteer insurance FAQs (fact sheet)
• Volunteer management form templates (fact sheet)