The Australian Adventure Activity Standards (AAAS) provide national standards and good-practice guidance for the safe delivery of outdoor and adventure-based activities. They include risk-based standards for planning, leadership and participant care as well as activity-specific Good Practice Guides.
While not mandatory, they do carry real-world weight as many land managers require service providers to demonstrate AAAS compliance before issuing access permits. The AAAS apply broadly across non-urban environments— from bushwalking and abseiling to water-based programs to outdoor education activities to therapeutic and nature-based health interventions delivered outdoors.
The AAAS are currently under review and you can read more about them and the review process via the Outdoor Council of Australia. Outdoor Health Australia, primarily through Ben Knowles, has contributed to this review process, focusing specifically on strengthening practice guidelines around diversity, equity and inclusion to ensure the Standards better support accessible, inclusive outdoor service delivery.
