Have you noticed it’s getting harder to find a decent 4X4 park without having to sell a kidney for the insurance? It’s a bit of a mess, and here’s why it matters – and not just for your weekend plans. Places like The Springs 4X4 Park, remember from Episode 1? It’s hard to convey how important places like that are for the 4X4ing community. Perfect for newbies to cut their teeth in a safe and reasonably secure environment, and somewhere the 37-inch tyre crowd can push the limits without pushing the tracks. But they’re vanishing faster than cold beers on a hot day, thanks to the insurance folks getting jittery over risks and jacking up the costs. Or bailing altogether. This leaves the park owners in a tight spot and some of our favourite playgrounds locked up.
Now, here’s the kicker: when these parks close, it’s not just a bummer for our weekend thrills. With 4X4ing absolutely booming it pushes more 4X4s into national parks; which isn’t ideal for the track conditions or the tranquility. Plus, think about the cash flow from the 4X4 after-market. That’s a hefty slice of the economy getting a bit shaky. With fewer spots to legally rev up and put our rigs through their paces, spending slows down, putting jobs and businesses on the line.
But hey, it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s a light at the end of this muddy track. We could take a leaf out of New Zealand’s book, where they’ve got a better grip on the whole public liability thing, making it easier and safer for parks to stay open. By capping public liability claims and providing clearer frameworks for indemnity on private lands, the insurance market could stabilize, making it feasible for more parks to operate sustainably. This fix could keep the 4X4 culture thriving without trashing our natural spots.
The Insurance Council of Australia is on it, sort of. They’re chatting with insurers, brokers, and the bigwigs to find a way out of this insurance squeeze. It’s a slow race, but it’s happening. We, the mud-loving, adventure-seeking community, need to get our hands dirty too. It’s about rallying together, speaking up, and supporting the places that let us do what we love.
Here’s the deal: let’s not sit back and watch our go-to spots turn into ghost towns. We’ve got to push for change. Throw our weight behind our local 4X4 parks. And make sure the great Aussie tradition of hitting the tracks doesn’t just fade into old tales. Let’s keep the wheels turning, for us and the ankle-biters who’ll follow.
