Jumping pillows to be phased out due to insurer concern

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A popular piece of playground equipment, the beloved jumping pillow, is being phased out. More insurers are refusing to cover them, leaving operators in towns like Alice Springs no choice, but to let the air out.

Transcript

00:00 It's deflating news for both children and parents alike.

00:07 The iconic jumping pillow now too much of a liability risk for some insurers to back

00:14 the bounce.

00:15 Operators in towns like Alice Springs forced to tell kids to take their last leaps.

00:22 The community has been pretty frustrated that fun things like this that we all loved when

00:28 we were kids are getting phased out.

00:29 The multi-coloured inflatable a popular drawcard of the modern day caravan park, especially

00:35 in regional Australia.

00:38 Their demise frustrating holiday makers of all ages.

00:42 I think it's a real shame and I think the insurance companies really need to think about

00:46 what they're doing to the industry because it makes it hard for caravan parks to keep

00:51 business.

00:52 It's good for kids to just get their minds off something and start jumping and having

00:58 fun.

00:59 It's good that I get time away from my parents and I get fun time with my friends.

01:06 Australia's largest general insurance provider IAG among those turning their backs on caravan

01:12 parks over the pillows.

01:13 Telling the ABC, "The key insurance challenges for caravan parks are the liability risks

01:19 on site and exposure to severe weather risks.

01:22 These high risk factors mean we only currently provide insurance for caravan parks in very

01:28 limited circumstances."

01:30 A growing number of insurers are pulling the pin on their cover of these jumping pillows,

01:35 leaving operators searching high and low for their next kid's outdoor attraction.

01:43 Well the kids get a lot of sugar at the bar and then they need to burn it off somewhere

01:46 before they go home.

01:48 So we'll try to replace it with something similarly oriented.

01:51 A playtime change that's left many feeling let down.

01:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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