Views on safety and risk management practices in
the adventure tourism industry are being sought as part of a
nationwide review into the sector.
Led by the Department of Labour, the review was announced by
Tourism Minister John Key on September 21 and comes after the
death of English tourist Emily Jordan (21) while on a
river-boarding trip near Queenstown in April last year.
Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson said the review team, which
includes Queenstown Lakes District Council chief executive
Duncan Field, had prepared two questionnaires - one for
outdoors and commercial sector operators, associations and
organisations and another for individuals.
Responses from the questionnaires would be used to inform the
review as it worked to identify any gaps in risk management
and safety, and then developed to provide options and
recommendations for Ms Wilkinson.
As well as questions about the business practices of
adventure and outdoors commercial sector operators, the
questionnaires ask for views on the strengths and weaknesses
of risk management and safety in the sector.
They also seek to determine the six most important principles
believed to underpin well-managed risk.
"Feedback from the questionnaires will complement the
review's first interim report - a stocktake on the current
situation - which I hope to receive before Christmas," Ms
Wilkinson said.
"These questionnaires provide an opportunity for those
interested in the outcome of this review to have their say.
"People from around the world come to experience the
adrenalin rush that our outdoors adventure activities
provide, and we want to ensure our industry is among the best
and safest in the world," she said.
The terms of reference for the review were announced in
October.
The steering group for the review comprises 11
representatives from the Department of Labour, Ministry of
Transport, Civil Aviation Authority, Tourism Industry
Association of New Zealand, Maritime New Zealand, ACC and the
QLDC.
A project working group comprising 13 representatives from
the above agencies, along with the Department of Conservation
and Outdoors New Zealand, had also been established.
An external reference group of "key stakeholders" in the
sector would also be identified based on the advice of the
governance group.
The first phase of the review, involving scoping and
establishing a knowledge base, began on September 21 and is
due to conclude on December 18.
Phase two - analysis problem definition and reporting - was
scheduled for January 11 to March 31 and would include a gap
analysis of risk-management and safety provisions; analysis
of findings; problem definition; and developing options for
ways of improving risk management and safety in the sector.
A final report for Ms Wilkinson with options and
recommendations was to be completed by March 31.
• The questionnaires can be downloaded from the Department of
Labour's website - www.dol.govt.nz/consultation/index.asp
Completed questionnaires must be received by 5pm on December
16 and can be emailed to AOCSreview@dol.govt.nz,
or posted to David Mulholland, project manager, Workplace
Health and Safety Policy, Department of Labour, PO Box 3705,
Wellington.
Time line
April 29, 2008: English tourist Emily Jordan
(21) drowns during a river boarding trip with Mad Dog River
Boarding on the Kawarau River.
December 1, 2008: Black Sheep Adventures,
Mad Dog's parent company, and its director Brad McLeod face
three charges each, laid under the Health and Safety
Employment Act, 1992.
August 24, 2009: Mad Dog River Boarding
fined $66,000 and ordered to pay $80,000 in reparation to
Miss Jordan's family after pleading guilty to two charges.
September, 2009: Miss Jordan's father,
Chris, writes to Tourism Minister John Key calling for a
shake-up of the adventure industry's regulatory system.
September 21, 2009: Mr Key announces a
national adventure tourism review, to be led by the
Department of Labour.
September 25, 2009: Mad Dog announces it
will voluntarily suspend its 2009-10 operations until a
Maritime New Zealand safety audit.
October 14, 2009: MNZ clears Mad Dog to
resume its operations, provided it adheres to its safe
operational plan and uses personal flotation devices which
meet the standard set by white-water safety guidelines
introduced by MNZ in February.
October 15, 2009: Labour Minister Kate
Wilkinson announces the terms of reference for the Government
review, to be carried out in two phases. The first phase,
which began on September 21, involves a stocktaking of
adventure tourism activities in the country, scoping and
establishing a knowledge base.
November 25, 2009 Views on safety and
risk-management practices in the adventure tourism industry
are called for, part of phase one of the adventure tourism
review.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.