Scouts face selling assets to fund redress

Australia's scouting organisations may have to sell some assets to fund compensation for child sexual abuse survivors.

Scouts Australia says it will not shy away from its moral, ethical and financial obligations to child abuse victims but also needs to ensure it remains a sustainable organisation.

The scouting organisation relies very heavily on fees from its 70,000 Australian members, a Senate inquiry into the Commonwealth redress scheme heard.

Its national redress co-ordinator Neville Tomkins said the organisation had to support survivors but cost was a significant issue.

"We are facing a situation of disposing of our assets in order to support the survivors," he told a public hearing on Friday.

"It would be fair to say a number of our branches are going to be challenged and we are looking at how we can best support each other in order to meet our moral obligation and our financial responsibilities to the survivors."

Mr Tomkins said Scouts Australia supported a national redress scheme that provided fairness for all survivors regardless of their geographic location, but needed further details and the backing of insurers before the eight branches could opt-in.