Future Direction of Outdoor Pursuits in WA - Australian Sports ...

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• Nomination of prescribed sites via legislation requires constant monitoring by land managers
which utilises a significant allocation of resources, especially considering the changing nature
of the outdoor environment. Ultimately, this may lead to a reduced number of approved sites,
but would not necessarily be adhered to by informal participants.
• The inability of stakeholders to agree on what criteria can or cannot be validly and reliably
judged by a certifying agent – therefore, what is a reliable indicator of outdoor leadership ability?
• Certification decisions are based upon human judgement 17 , and may result in inconsistent
outcomes.
What is the Current Status of Regulation for Outdoor Pursuits in WA?
The last four years have seen an evolution in the management and structures of organisations
involved in the coordination and delivery of outdoor pursuits. Major changes include:
• national developments in education and training brought about through the National Training
Reform Agenda;
• establishment of Outdoors WA as the recognised peak body for outdoor pursuits in Western
Australia, which has provided a much needed forum for service providers to address selfregulation
and advocacy requirements;
• the Hartfield Inquest 18 ; and
• the debate on public liability and Tort law reforms and the subsequent introduction of
legislation 19 .
In Western Australia, these changes have been catalysts for the non-profit outdoor pursuits
organisations across a number of disciplines (e.g. bushwalking, caving, climbing, climbing walls,
ropes courses and sea kayaking) to address regulation and improved practices for issues such as:
• the demand for education and training;
• risk management policies/practices;
• ‘best practice’ standards;
• professional development;
• program diversity; and
• participant/membership servicing.
The emergence of Outdoors WA as the recognised peak body for outdoor pursuits in Western
Australia has provided a much needed forum for service providers to address self-regulation and
advocacy requirements. Outdoors WA aims to represent and ultimately assist in the ongoing
development of a variety of outdoor pursuits. Organisations with a vested interest in Outdoors
WA’s activities include:
• CALM Tourism Industry Reference Group;
• Art Sport and Recreation Industry Training Council;
• Abseiling Assessment Panel;
• Cave Management Advisory Committee;
• Australian Camping Association;
17 ‘To Certify or Not to Certify: How judgement works in certification decisions,’ Cheryl Teeters, Ph.D. Trends, V32, No. 3, 1995.
18 ‘Record of Investigation in Death of Kristy Rose Hartfield’, SM McGuire, Coroner, 8 September 1998, ref. No. 46/98.
19 The ‘Volunteer Protection Bill 2002’, the ‘Insurance Commission of WA Amendment Bill 2002’ and the ‘Civil Liability Bill 2002’
have been introduced into the Western Australian Parliament in 2002.
Future Direction of Outdoor Pursuits in WA