In 2009, as a response to several fatal incidents, the Department of Labour was tasked to review practices within Adventure and Outdoor Commercial sectors to determine if changes were needed to the risk management and safety systems
In June 2010 the Department of Labour released the Review of Risk Management and Safety in the Adventure and Outdoor Commercial Sectors in NZ final report (Adventure Tourism Review). In the report the review team identified a number of areas where change could improve safety. They concluded that there is “no one single measure that will address the issues identified in the review” as a consequence they “recommended that the government adopts a package of measures providing a mix of regulatory requirements, industry initiatives and systems improvements”.
The government’s implementation strategy includes involving industry representative organisations to assist with the development and delivery of this package of measures.
Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIANZ) and Outdoors New Zealand (ONZ) have separate contracts with the Department of Labour (DoL) for the delivery of five of the key recommendations. Specific project outcomes are:
- A generic guidance tool for the adventure and outdoor commercial sectors (other than for adventure aviation activities, commercial jet boating and rafting) has been developed and disseminated widely.
- Additional guidance to better inform adventure and outdoor commercial sector operators about their current responsibilities, particularly activity specific guidance, has been developed and disseminated widely.
- Better and more consistent information on and for the adventure and outdoor commercial sectors is being collected, collated and disseminated. Read more here.
- An investigation into what the appropriate levels and measures of competency are for adventure and outdoor commercial sector instructors and guides has been completed.
- This includes: Investigate whether instructors and guides should be required to hold qualifications and work only within the scope of their qualifications for some activities. Read more here.
- Support the implementation of the registration scheme for the adventure tourism sector.
The DOL contracts give TIA project management responsibility for outcomes 1 and 2, ONZ project management responsibility for outcomes 3 and 4 and both organisations have shared responsibility for outcome 5.
The DOL contracts expect and require the parties to work closely together; separate project plans will be developed for each of the outcomes and work steams for both organisations will be described within each of the plans.