Survival instructors in Australia have warned of unqualified operators’ impacts on insurance.
Gordon Dedman, an experienced bush survival instructor, leads groups into the Australian wilderness to teach essential survival skills. Drawing from his background with the Army Reserve’s 1st Commando Regiment, his courses cover reconnecting with nature, safe fire-starting techniques, and ensuring minimal environmental impact during bush excursions.
According to an ABC report, the demand for survival training has surged, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in long waitlists for Dedman's courses.
Dedman travels nationwide to provide his expertise and recently appeared as the bushcraft expert on the reality TV show, “Alone.”
However, the rapid growth in interest has also attracted unqualified operators to the field.
“There is no regulating body for bushcraft and survival,” Dedman said, as reported by ABC. “Obviously it’s an integrity concern. I’ve seen some people that … are popping up now that have done maybe one course overseas, and a bit of hiking, and now they’re calling themselves instructors teaching military-style survivor skills – and they’ve never been in the military.”
Adam O’Donnell, state leader in survival skills for Scouts Victoria and a former member of the British Army’s SAS Reserve and the Australian Army, echoed these concerns. He noted that some individuals are teaching dangerous practices due to the lack of regulation.
“I’ve known of individuals in the past that have been teaching what is quite dangerous stuff,” he said, as reported by ABC. “As soon as you regulate it, you run the risk of killing it completely. I think there needs to be some sort of code of practice, or a better code of practice. But it definitely concerns me because there’s just no regulation on it.”
This influx of unqualified operators has significant implications for insurance.
Public liability insurance is essential for businesses like survival schools, but Dedman pointed out that securing appropriate coverage has become increasingly difficult and costly. Rogue operators complicate the insurance landscape, raising premiums and making it harder for legitimate instructors to obtain coverage.
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) confirmed that many survival schools are now seeking insurance from international providers.
“In most cases, this type of insurance is provided through international insurers, which in recent years have been under pressure from what's called a ‘hard’ insurance market,” an ICA spokesperson told ABC. “This means capital is scarce, reinsurance is more difficult to obtain, and risk appetites are low.”
The spokesperson said the ICA is actively working to address these challenges.
“There is no silver bullet to fix these issues, and often solutions – where they exist – require a concerted effort between insurers, business, and government,” the spokesperson told ABC.
