Ministers endorse Australian Adventure Activity Standard and Good Practice Guides

The Australian Adventure Activity Standard (AAAS) and Good Practice Guides (GPG) have officially been released after being endorsed by Federal and state ministers for sport earlier this month.

The AAAS and GPG are the result of a four-year project to harmonise existing state/territory adventure Activity Standards into the first national voluntary framework for good practice, risk and safety management for led outdoor adventure activities in Australia.

Until now, each jurisdiction has maintained its own set of guidelines for outdoor activities. This new national approach will make it easier for activity providers to operate in multiple jurisdictions, improve professional portability of activity leaders, and improve safety for participants.

Commenting on the value of the AAAS and GPG, Shane McCorkell - Director, Governance and Sector Management, Sport and Active Recreation within the Northern Territory’s Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture - stated “this framework will provide certainty for both outdoor adventure operators and people taking part in adventure activities not just in the NT, but Australia-wide.

“It will help operators review their practices and continue to offer safe and responsible activities to the community and visitors, which is a vital part in supporting our tourism sector and helping people get outdoors more.

“The reduction of red-tape imposed under a state-by-state approach is a great result for nature-based tourism, outdoor education, and outdoor recreation groups and businesses.”

AAAS Committee Chair, Andrew Knight added “thanks to the support of the State and Territory Sport and Recreation Ministers of Australia, the outdoors sector experts have formed the first-ever national Adventure Activity Standard and Good Practice Guides across 18 activities."

Andrew McGuckian, President of the Outdoor Council of Australia (OCA), which will maintain and manage the framework, went on to say “Standards shouldn’t change just because you cross the border. This approach ensures everyone has clear guidance on how to achieve the highest safety standards and deliver the best possible experience for participants.”

Over the coming months, the OCA will be coordinating a series of workshops to help providers understand and use the AAAS and GPG.

The first of these will be delivered as a webinar by the Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation (QORF) on Tuesday 26th November 2019.

Click here to register interest in the QORF webinar or visit qorf.org.au for more information.

More information on the AAAS and GPG are available at australianaas.org.au