Bushwalking NSW has provided the following advice from Bushwalking Australia, regarding reconnaissance activities in relation to club insurance.
Recce walks are covered by the club’s insurance policy, irrespective of the number of walkers on the Recce walk, provided that the walk is pre-approved by the club. To be on the safe side, this approval should be given in writing. An email is sufficient.
When considering approving a recce activity, the club should consider whether the leader and the overall party have the necessary skills to undertake the activity. This depends on the activity’s difficulty and location. For example, is it appropriate for even an experienced leader to do a recce walk in a remote wilderness area by themselves? However, a new walk leader should be fine to do a recce by themselves if it were in an urban area, e.g., Circular Quay to Bondi Beach.
From: Peter Bruce – BNSW Insurance & Risk Secretary
(including some minor text changes for clarity)
If CBC leaders would like public liability insurance cover for recces:
- Put the activity in Bilby with a tag of Recce. Add yourself and the other recce party members to the participant list. Change the status from Draft to Review.
- If it is assessed that the small party is capable and well-equipped, the activity will be published as Members Only.
- As soon as it is published, the leader should mark the recce party members’ bookings as Valid and mark the activity as Closed (so that no ‘uninvited’ participants can book on it).
- It is critical that such recces are ‘Finished’ to check them in by 11 am the following day, and preferably immediately on return from the recce.
Updated: 2026-04-28