A compulsory registration scheme for adventure tourism would be a legacy of the 21-year-old Englishwoman killed two years ago on the Kawarau River, her father said last night.
Chris Jordan said it had been a difficult time for the family after the death of daughter Emily, who died after being trapped underwater for 20 minutes during a river-boarding incident in April 2008.
Speaking from their family home in the village of Trimpley, near Bewdley, Mr Jordan said the whole family, particularly Miss Jordan's mother Sarah and sister Lucy, were devastated.
Mr Jordan said he was pleased a scheme aimed at improving safety standards would be developed and acknowledged "it is a positive step forward".
The review of New Zealand's adventure tourism industry was ordered by Prime Minister John Key, also Minister of Tourism, after Mr Jordan urged a review of the sector.
Mr Jordan said he was concerned over the delay of the review, originally scheduled for release in April, and disappointed he had not been given an advance copy.
"I got up at 4.45am this morning to have a look at it."
He planned to contact Mr Key again to discuss the recommendations, and is likely to advocate for tough new penalties for those in the industry who operated unsafely.
The release of the recommendations coincided with it being a year to the day since Mad Dog Riverboarding pleaded guilty in the Queenstown District Court to two charges following Miss Jordan's death.
Mr Jordan said it was galling the company continued to operate in the weeks after his daughter's death.
Any company which put a person's life at risk should not operate while an official investigation was under way.
In addition to following the new safety standards, Mr Jordan called on other adventure companies to be "whistle-blowers" if they knew of other companies flouting safety regulations.
"They have to be strong and vocal. They are the best ones to do it."
His investigations found the industry had operated with varying degrees of safety, and deaths, such as his daughter's, were "unnecessary".
Mr Jordan said he would be following up with the Office of the Chief Coroner on whether an inquest would be now held into his daughter's death, as "there is no reason why it shouldn't proceed".
He also planned to write a book documenting the experience, which had been a painful two years for his family, who this week celebrated their daughter Lucy turning 21, the same age Emily was when she died.
The pain of losing their loved one "is there every day ... You learn to live with it."
In addition to a foundation set up in his daughter's name, Mr Jordan said he wanted her legacy to help prevent any future deaths.
"Emily is doing this."
