Last week, the Otago Daily Times reported only three of 19 operators in the resort required to register with WorkSafe NZ under new adventure safety regulations had done so, ahead of the November 1 deadline.
The registration is part of new regulations aimed at improving safety in the adventure activity industry, requiring operators offering activities which ''deliberately expose participants to a risk of serious harm'' to be audited by an approved auditor and registered with WorkSafe.
In April, Labour Minister Simon Bridges told Fairfax the deadline ''can be met and is not going to change'', while WorkSafe chief executive Gordon Macdonald said the deadline was ''immutable'' and he was working on the basis there would be ''no giving way''.
However, yesterday, the Tourism Industry Association (TIA) announced the deadline had been extended to December 1 for audits and December 12 for registrations.
The extension will enable about 192 operators to complete the final stages of the audit.
Last week, WorkSafe figures showed of the 16 Queenstown operators yet to register, 10 were being audited and four had entered a contract with an audit provider.
Nationally, of 340 operators required to register, about 75 had done so by last week and 187 of the remaining 265 were being audited.
TIA chief executive Chris Roberts said operators given
extensions must be ''well advanced'' in the audit and WorkSafe NZ must be satisfied there were no safety concerns.
It was a ''sensible move'', he said.
''The extension means adventure activities operators already well through the audit process won't be penalised and should have time to finalise their registration without interrupting their business.
''Adventure tourism safety is a priority area for TIA and we will continue working with WorkSafe and operators to strengthen safety across the sector.
''We want all tourism operators to be offering visitors a safe and enjoyable experience - and having the right systems and processes in place is part of their obligation,'' Mr Roberts said.
Activities run by sports clubs and schools or events run by sport or recreation clubs were excluded, as were activities that were not taught or guided.
The regulations arose from a review of the sector ordered by Prime Minister John Key in 2009 after a series of fatal accidents.
