Dear MA member,
You may be aware of rumours circulating recently about Motorcycling Australia (MA) having difficulty getting its Public Liability and Personal Injury insurance policies renewed. After a meeting on Thursday, October 26, 2023 with the Board of our insurer, we are now in a position to provide you with further information and to place those rumours in context.
Over the past 12 months, a number of incidents and injuries have occurred around Australia involving both participants and spectators. Some of these resulted in serious injury. Some complacency in the conduct, control and administration of events has caused concern and the insurers were seeking evidence of a stronger focus on risk control at state level.
During negotiations to renew our insurance cover that started some months ago, our insurer made it clear that although there was evidence of changes being made by some State Controlling Bodies (SCBs) to address the high-risk aspects of event management, it was also clear the focus required to deliver a nationally consistent risk profile was not progressing as required and that MA’s risk profile was becoming too high for our insurer to be prepared to renew our cover. The impact of a non-renewal of our insurance cover would have meant that all MA-permitted motorcycle activity in Australia would have had to cease on October 31, 2023.
After intense negotiations involving all SCBs, the MA Board and our insurer, on Friday, October 27 we were successful in securing the renewal of our insurance cover for another year. However, our insurer has placed MA on notice that unless it sees ongoing efforts to ensure that all events nationally are managed on a consistent basis and in a manner that minimises risks to a level that our insurer deems acceptable, it may not be prepared to renew our cover next year. To this end, MA has partnered with the Australian Sports Commission to work with SCBs in developing more effective and efficient ways to manage our sport. More information on this initiative will be forthcoming.
The responsibility for ensuring that we take all necessary steps to minimise the risks associated with running events lies with us all. This extends to all participants, officials, promoters, clubs, SCBs and MA. You will no doubt be aware of a number of motor sports categories both locally and internationally which have recently had to cease operating due to their inability to secure insurance cover. Let’s make sure we all stay committed to ensuring that we don’t find ourselves in the same situation next year – and act accordingly.
If you have any questions relating to risk or the challenges associated with obtaining insurance cover, please contact us at Board@ma.org.au.
Roy Chamberlain, on behalf of the MA Board
November 2023