An increasing number of holiday park operators have taken the leap to get rid of jumping pillows over insurance availability issues.
Club Eastside, a family-friendly club in the town of Alice Springs, has removed its multi-coloured “jumping pillow” inflatable from its playground after six years, according to an ABC report.
The club had to remove jumping pillow following difficulties in finding insurance, with the club's insurer deciding that it no longer wanted to underwrite injury risks. The other 20 insurers contacted by the club for coverage also refused on the same grounds, ABC reported.
“My hands are tied,” said Club Eastside general manager Josh Brigham, as reported by ABC. “The community has been pretty frustrated that fun things like this that we all loved as kids are being phased out.”
Adrienne Bogard, who runs a local parent resource centre and frequently brought her children to the family-friendly club for the jumping pillow inflatable, said: “It's a devastating loss. As a small town, we don't have many options for entertainment for children … and that jumping pillow was high on the rotation.”
A representative of Play Australia emphasised that “children are vulnerable” and serious injuries could occur on play equipment. However, they noted that equipment that involves “tumbling, turning upside down, and sliding” helps children build balance and co-ordination.
“Ensuring that play equipment is correctly risk-assessed is a really important part of minimising the risk to children,” said Play Australia chief executive Robyn Monro Miller, as reported by ABC. “Supervision of our children when they're using these sorts of play equipment is also of critical importance. Adults also have to take responsibility for themselves when using equipment as to be managing their own risks.”
An IAG spokesperson said injuries usually come from “playgrounds, pools, trampolines, and bouncy pillows.”
“These high-risk factors mean we only currently provide insurance for caravan parks in very limited circumstances,” the spokesperson told ABC. “We encourage caravan park owners to seek the advice of a broker to help them source the cover they need.”
Operators have been facing insurance challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic started, including skyrocketing premiums and changes in the way insurers assess liability risks.
The industry body for caravan parks in Victoria recently called on state and federal governments to intervene, according to ABC.
