AAAS & Good Practice Guides Review: Where We’re Up To and What Comes Next

Over the past 12 months, the Australian Adventure Activity Standards (AAAS) and Good Practice Guides (GPGs) have been undergoing a comprehensive national review — a process grounded in broad sector engagement, technical expertise and real-world application.

Led by the Outdoor Council of Australia, the review reflects a simple but critical principle: the AAAS exists because the sector built it, and it remains effective only if the sector continues to shape it.

A genuinely sector-led process

This review has involved one of the most extensive engagement processes undertaken for the AAAS to date. Invitations were issued across the industry, to organisations and individuals. To date, over 340 practitioners, managers and educators have actively contributed through face-to-face consultations, focus groups and expert advisory activity, with many more engaged through conferences and presentations.

Focus groups have included participants from every state and territory, spanning education, commercial, community, club and government contexts. In parallel, more than 200 organisations are now connected with the AAAS review through individual registrants, reflecting the framework’s national reach and day-to-day use.

A volunteer Expert Advisory Pool, currently comprising 68 technical reviewers across activity areas, has completed a detailed review of the Good Practice Guides. This group will meet shortly to confirm key outcomes and refine recommendations before drafting begins.

From listening to structured technical review

The project has now progressed through four key stages:

1. Sector listening and issue framing

Early engagement focused on identifying where the framework requires tightening, updating or restructuring to improve clarity, consistency and practical usefulness. This phase also surfaced broader industry issues — including workforce supply and capability — and how these intersect with the AAAS.

2. Expert Advisory Pool review

Since early December, technical reviewers have been systematically examining AAAS and GPG content. The next phase will consolidate and refine this input to ensure drafting is guided by clear, agreed technical direction.

3. Structured analysis and synthesis

Feedback and consultation themes are being consolidated into a prioritised and trackable set of proposed changes, distinguishing between framework-level updates (AAAS / Core GPG) and activity-specific amendments.

4. Targeted advisory streams

Two dedicated advisory streams have been established in direct response to stakeholder feedback:

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) — to ensure the revised framework supports equitable participation, cultural safety, inclusion and psychological wellbeing.

• Safety and Risk Advisory Group — to pressure-test proposed changes against contemporary risk practice, including clarity, defensibility, usability and alignment with modern benefit–risk thinking.

What happens next

The project is now entering a structured build and validation phase, including:

• Finalisation of consolidated Expert Advisory Pool input

• Development of a clear set of change recommendations

• Drafting and redlining of priority updates to the AAAS/Core GPG and selected Activity GPGs

• A national survey to test cross-cutting priorities and proposed changes

• Industry validation to ensure usability across education, commercial, club, community and government settings

• Use of the newly adopted AAAS Framework to consider future additions to the guides

  
  

Staying connected in 2026

Monthly AAAS update sessions will continue in 2026, providing a regular opportunity for the sector to hear progress updates, ask questions and stay engaged. Register to attend in the AAAS Engagement Platform.

How you can help

The next phase of the review relies on broad participation and shared ownership. Please keep an eye out for the upcoming survey and update session invitations, and consider sharing information with colleagues who rely on the AAAS but may not be directly connected to peak bodies.

As Project Lead Dr David Marsden notes, the strength of the AAAS lies in the collective expertise of the industry. This review is about ensuring the framework remains clear, contemporary and fit-for-purpose — now and into the future.