Australian Adventure Activity Standard and related Good Practice Guides
The Australian Adventure Activity Standard (AAAS) and related Good Practice Guides (GPGs) are now available.
They provide a voluntary good-practice framework for safe and responsible planning and delivery of led outdoor adventure activities with dependent participants. The formation of the Aust. AAS and GPG’s have been supported and funded 2016-2019 by a meeting of the State and Territory Sport and Recreation Ministers of Australia.
Safety requirements shouldn’t change just because you cross a state border. That is why state outdoors peak bodies including Outdoors WA came together and developed the Australian Adventure Activity Standard (AAAS) and related Good Practice Guide’s (GPGs).
The good practice framework is provided in:
The AAAS – this addresses the common ‘requirements’ for all types of adventure activities
The Core GPG – this provides additional information to help support implementing the AAAS
The various activity GPGs – these provide guidance specific to the various activities. – see below
Western Australian Adventure Activity Standards
Four WA Adventure Activities were not updated due to resource allocation to complete guidelines for activities that are:
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conducted across the vast majority of States and Territories
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and/or do not have current guidance from public land managers, other government authorities or a recognised association
For these four activities, please refer in this order to the:
- The Australian Adventure Activity Standard – this addresses the common ‘requirements’ for all types of adventure activities
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The Core Good Practice Guide – this provides additional information to help support implementing the AAAS before referring to the activity in WA Adventure Activity Standard (below).
Activity weather guides
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has outdoor adventure activity weather guides outlining available information services, hazards and warnings. The following links take you to the:
weather guide for land-based activities
weather guide for marine-based activities
WA Versions
Each WA Standard has on its cover page its version number and publication date. Where a version is posted as version 1.0, for example, it means it is the first major published version. Where it is posted as version 1.1, 1.2... it means that there has been minor changes to the previously published version. Version 2.0 would be posted once a major review has been carried out.
Western Australian Adventure Activity Standards will be archived but can be seen for the following outdoor adventure activities:
AAS _Quick Reference Ratio Guide V5 Jan 2014 (170 KB)
AAS Abseiling V2.0 Jan 2013 (545 KB)
AAS Artificial Surfaces Climbing V2.0 Jan 2013 (523 KB)
AAS Bushwalking V3.2 Feb 2017 (969 KB)
AAS Canoeing Kayaking Sea Kayaking V2.0 Jan 2013 (617 KB)
AAS Canyoning V2.0 Jan 2013 (618 KB)
AAS Caving V2.0 Jan 2013 (546 KB)
AAS Challenge Ropes Course V2.0 Jan 2013 (544 KB)
AAS Four Wheel Driving V3.0 Nov 2016 (756 KB)
AAS Horse Trail Riding V2.0 Jan 2013 (576 KB)
AAS Mountain Biking V2.0 Jan 2013 (559 KB)
AAS Rafting V2.0 Jan 2013 (583 KB)
AAS Recreational SCUBA Diving V1.0 Jul 2008 (232 KB)
AAS Rock Climbing V2.0 Jan 2013 (543 KB)
AAS Snorkelling and Wildlife Swims V1.2 Oct 2009 (227 KB)
AAS Surfing V2.0 Jan 2013 (547 KB)
AAS Trail Bike Touring V2.0 Jan 2013 (590 KB)
Serious Adventure Report (1584 KB)
WA Frequently Asked Questions
1. Update FAQ October 2016
Are the AAS going to required conditions of entry by land managers?
Do my friends and I need to comply with the AAS?
Do the AAS apply equally to commercial and non-commercially led groups?
Documentation is time consuming, will the AAS expect documentation?
How is National Outdoor Leadership Registration Scheme (NOLRS) linked to AAS? Will volunteer leaders and tour guides have to become registered with NOLRS to be able to lead groups?
How will the Adventure Activity Standards affect existing standards including Department of Education guidelines?
Now AAS are in place the inference is that leaders of multiple adventure activities such as tour guides, teachers and instructors, will have to be NOLRS registered in multiple activity specializations which may be time and cost prohibitive. What can be do
Were the Adventure Activity Standards developed in response to insurance or land access issues?
Why are the Adventure Activity Standards based in the competency-based system? Does AAS recognise other learning pathways such as tertiary education?
Will the Adventure Activity Standards be ‘Best Practice' in commercial terms?
AAS Templates and Resources
Additional resources for activity providers and Reference Panels can be found under resources\AAS.
