As the demand for support continued to grow and our desire to keep response times low, we took steps to increase the scope of resources available from across the business.

Event and Business Continuity Lead Josh Gallagher said this included the successful introduction of the Lodge On Behalf Of (LOBO) support team, which allowed additional employees to lodge a claim on behalf of our members.

“The program provided much-needed relief to our frontline teams and helped with the timely lodgement of claims and the reduction of phone wait times,” Mr Gallagher said.

Manager Risk Insurance Natalie Dennis put her hand up to join the frontline team in February.

“When I first volunteered, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to assist a member who was already in need, but the amazing LOBO support crew were so well prepared and ready to help,” Natalie said.

“They answered my questions quickly so we could relay the information directly to the member and escalate the claim if they were in a vulnerable position.”

For Natalie, it was an eye-opening experience.

“It was heartbreaking to hear some of the extreme hardship some of our members have faced,” she said.

“I have so much admiration for our teams who are doing their best to help our people when they need us most.”

There were 160 employees from across the business who put their hand up to work additional hours during the flood event, which is a testament to their dedication to wanting to go above and beyond for our members.