| AAS are voluntary guidelines for undertaking potentially risky activities in a manner designed to promote:
 Safety for both participants and providers,
Protection for providers against legal liability claims and
 criminal penalties,
Assistance in obtaining insurance cover.
AAS are NOT statutory standards by law. Legal liability for injuries or
property damage is primarily governed by the law of Contract and
Negligence which are described within each AAS introduction.
The Adventure Activity Standards (AAS) have been established as minimum
standards for organisations conducting outdoor recreation activities
for dependant groups (where participants have a level of dependence
upon the leader(s).
The concept
required appropriate consultation with commercial and community
involvement so that a single and consistent set of guidelines could be
established and agreed by the contributors, provide clarity to the
sector and to the external stakeholder of safe and sustainable
practices in the outdoors.
A consortium
of four government agencies, Sport and Recreation Victoria (SRV),
Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Parks Victoria (PV)
and Tourism Victoria (TV) support and fund the project. The funding
consortium has an ongoing role on the steering committee for the
project ensuring that the AAS are endorsed and recognised by the
Victorian State Government.
The
necessity for minimum standards has arisen as the outdoor recreation
sector continues to develop best practice. AAS do not expect best
practice but do expect activities to be conducted in a manner
appropriate to the specific organisation, the participants being led
and the nature of the activity being undertaken. The ORC thoroughly
support the pursuit of best practice by organisations which have the
expertise and resources to optimise safety and quality of activities
for participants and the environment.
For more information about the project and how to get
involved contact Gordon Duff, the Project Manager, at
the ORC Inc. office by phone (03) 9457 5432 or by Email
info@orc.org.au.
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