A regulated regime — you must be audited and registered
Adventure activity operators in New Zealand sit under a specific regime. The Adventure Activities Regulations 2016 require anyone providing a covered adventure activity to pass a safety audit and be registered by WorkSafe before operating. Audits are carried out by recognised safety auditors against WorkSafe's Safety Audit Standard, and registration is renewed on a roughly three-yearly cycle. WorkSafe strengthened the regime following the Whakaari / White Island tragedy.
The Adventure Activities Regulations 2016 set out what counts as an adventure activity, the registration process, operators' duties, and offences. They cover commercial operators who guide or instruct participants in activities with a risk of serious harm. Some activities are excluded — for example those run by sports clubs or schools in most circumstances, and activities where participants are not taught or guided. Some activities, such as adventure aviation and jet boating, are regulated under transport rules instead.
You cannot simply start operating. The process is:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Document | Prepare and document your safety management system and operating procedures. |
| Audit | Engage a recognised safety auditor, who reviews your documents and carries out an onsite field audit against WorkSafe's Safety Audit Standard. |
| Certificate | If you pass, the auditor issues a safety audit certificate, usually valid for three years. |
| Register | Apply to WorkSafe with your certificate and audit report to be registered as an adventure activity operator. |
Registration is not a one-off. You must keep your safety management system effective, take reasonable steps to tell participants about the risks, report notifiable incidents — including certain natural-hazard incidents — and re-audit to renew. WorkSafe can impose conditions and can suspend, cancel or refuse registration. Strong risk assessment, clear go / no-go decision-making, and solid emergency planning sit at the heart of a compliant operation.
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Yes. The Adventure Activities Regulations 2016 require anyone providing a covered adventure activity to pass a safety audit and be registered by WorkSafe before they operate.
Document your safety management system and operating procedures, engage a recognised safety auditor for a document review and onsite field audit against WorkSafe's Safety Audit Standard, gain a safety audit certificate (usually three years), then apply to WorkSafe for registration.
Activities run by sports clubs or schools in most circumstances, and activities where participants are not taught or guided. Some activities such as adventure aviation and jet boating are regulated under transport rules instead.
Registration runs on a roughly three-year cycle, so operators must be re-audited to renew. WorkSafe can also impose conditions and can suspend, cancel or refuse registration.
Keep the safety management system effective, take reasonable steps to tell participants about the risks, report notifiable incidents including certain natural-hazard incidents, and maintain clear go / no-go decisions and emergency planning.
