Casual stadium users told to find $20 million insurance cover

Casual users who once paid a small fee to use the basketball court at the Inverloch Community Hub have now been told they need $20 million in public liability insurance before they use the indoor court again.

The change followed an insurance review by Bass Coast Shire Council and has frustrated regular users of the stadium, who say the requirement has effectively put a council-owned community facility out of reach for informal and casual groups.

Inverloch resident Sean How was among those who regularly used the stadium, organising Friday night basketball sessions open to anyone wanting to shoot some hoops.

“We were organising Friday night basketball for anyone so inclined to spend a Friday evening away from their screens and get a sweat in,” Mr How said.

“I would also bring my six-year-old in for some father-son time whenever I can.”

Mr How said he was “flabbergasted” when he learnt casual stadium users could no longer simply book and pay for the court, when they had previously been able to for so long.

“It’s hard to accept that such a high-value community asset can become unavailable due to administrative decisions,” he said.

The change comes as the stadium recently reopened following stage 2 of the Inverloch Community Hub renewal, a $1.155 million project fully funded by Council.

The works included heating, cooling and ventilation upgrades, electrical works, asbestos removal, structural works and a renewed fire protection system across the facility.

Council has confirmed the new insurance requirement is not a result of those works, and its own public liability coverage for the stadium hasn’t changed.

Instead, an insurance review clarified the distinction between activities managed by Council and those independently organised by third parties.

Council’s insurance covers its responsibilities as the owner of the facility, including areas such as maintenance and asset management, but does not extend to liabilities arising from independently organised sporting activities.

As a result, casual sporting hirers are now required to hold $20 million in public liability insurance.

“The stadium at the Inverloch Community Hub has now reopened. As part of reopening, there have been some changes to the Stadium hire requirements,” Council said in an earlier response.

“All hirers using the stadium for sporting or recreation activities are now required to hold Public Liability Insurance to the value of $20 million.”

Council acknowledged the change would disappoint regular users who previously hired the court casually.

The requirement also explains why casual use remains available at similar stadiums like the Bass Coast Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Wonthaggi, despite the restriction at the Inverloch Hub.

The Wonthaggi centre is operated by Aligned Leisure, with casual court users covered under the operator’s public liability insurance arrangements.

There’s currently no equivalent operator providing this kind of coverage for casual users at Inverloch.

Council said it’s working towards a possible arrangement with GippSport, which could allow casual users to resume using the Inverloch stadium under GippSport’s insurance.

Mr How said Council should be looking for ways to increase the community use of the stadium, not create more barriers to access it.

“If anything, Council should be encouraging higher utility out of the space,” he said.

For the time being, Council has suggested outdoor courts at Inverloch Primary School and Cape Paterson, or the indoor basketball court at Wonthaggi as alternatives for casual users.