Safety within the river boarding and sledging industry will be the focus of a river rescue training workshop in Queenstown this weekend.
Facilitated by the New Zealand Rafting Association and sponsored by Maritime New Zealand (MNZ), the workshop will take place on the Kawarau River, involving about 30 local guides and several North Island industry representatives.
River boarding, sledging, surfing or hydro-speeding involves participants riding a flotation board down whitewater rivers - commercial tourism operations are in place on several New Zealand rivers, including the Kawarau.
Rescue training will be provided by some of the country's top whitewater rafting experts, including on-water scenario-based training.
While similar exercises are held by the rafting association for its members every year, this weekend would mark the first time a large-scale training exercise has been undertaken by the river boarding or sledging industry.
NZ Rafting Association chairman Grant South said the association was pleased to be involved and have its members' skills acknowledged outside the rafting sector.
"Our rescue workshops are based on years of learning outcomes from past incidences and accidents which have helped us develop proactive rescue techniques developed by industry for industry. We see this workshop as bringing together two industries for the benefit of water-based tourism."
MNZ Safety Auditor Colin Sonneveld said it was good to see industry working with MNZ to continually improve safety standards, and to see the river boarding and river rafting communities coming together to share their rescue knowledge.
"Commercial river boarding and river sledging operations have been around since 1989, but they are still relatively under-represented activities in New Zealand.
"There are only a few operators throughout the country and, although each operation has had its own internal training system and operating plans, up until now there have not been any formal guidelines.
"Tapping into the expertise held by the rafting industry - which is comparatively far more established - is a good way to build up rescue knowledge and skills within the river boarding community."
Mr Sonneveld said the developments were part of an industry-wide safety review undertaken following the investigation into the death of English tourist Emily Jordan while river boarding on the Kawarau River in Queenstown on April 29.
"As part of the review, safety guidelines are being developed in consultation with industry, including commercial operators and guides, the Tourism Industry Association and Qualmark."
