New Adventure Activity Regulations

What do the new Regulations do?

They require some adventure activity operators in New Zealand to be safety audited and registered in order to provide an adventure activity in return for payment.

Why were the Regulations introduced?

They are a response to safety gaps identified in the Adventure Tourism Review and are meant to help keep New Zealanders and overseas tourists safe.

Who do they apply to?

The Regulations apply to operators who provide paid adventure activities, including bungy jumping, high rope courses, skiing outside a patrolled ski area, scuba diving, caving, kayaking, outdoor rock climbing, trail biking, etc. where there is:

• guiding or training of participants
• deliberate exposure to risk
• risk of serious harm if something goes wrong.

Who is excluded?

Sport NZ worked with the Department of Labour to ensure almost all activities carried out by non-profit sport and recreation organisations are excluded.  The Regulations do not apply to sport and recreation organisations if all three of the following points apply:

• The activity is provided by a not-for-profit club or association, such as a sports club, a tramping club or a national sport or recreation organisation, and
• If the activity is provided to members of the public, any one member of the public can participate in the activity no more than 12 days a year, and
• If the activity is provided to members of the public, it is provided either:

• to encourage people to join up or to promote the sport or recreation activity (e.g. have-a-go days), or
• as a competition (e.g. a competitive event that the public can enter).

For more information or help

The Department of Labour has prepared a detailed Guidance Document that can be found on their website www.dol.govt.nz.  The actual Regulations can be found at www.legislation.govt.nz.
If you have any queries please contact the Department of Labour on 0800 20 90 20 or through their website.