Industry Newsletter

November 2024

Outdoor News

This monthly newsletter is shared with the broader outdoor industry, members and non-members of Outdoor NSW & ACT in the Outdoor Industry. To receive more regular and informative news, become a member today.

From the CEO's Desk

Dear friends,

Wow, what a whirlwind November has been! As the end of the year rushes toward us, we’ve been powering through with incredible initiatives and achievements that showcase the strength, passion, and collaboration across the outdoor industry.

Here’s a taste of November:

- Blue Mountains Climbing School took out the Silver Award for Best Accessible Tourism Business in NSW!
- Breaking Barriers with Nature Play: We’ve been diving into the challenges preschools face in incorporating Nature Play, sparking important conversations about connecting kids to the outdoors from an early age.
- Empowering Outdoor Leaders: The Pinnacle Leadership Program for Outdoor Women is officially underway, and we couldn’t be prouder to support the next generation of industry leaders.
- Strengthening the Workforce: Collaborating with SaCSA and Humanability, we’ve helped launch new workforce plans to shape the future of our sector.
- The Back Country Summit was a huge success, laying the groundwork for a much-needed industry Good Practice Guide for snow activities.
- Our work with Western Sydney Moving is driving action to get communities more active and healthier, tackling rising health issues head-on.
- Recreation Inclusive: Supporting the launch of the NSW Office of Sport Strategy, setting a vision for the years ahead.
- Insurance Resilience: In collaboration with Austrade, we delivered a webinar packed with insights and strategies to help tourism businesses navigate the insurance minefield that we have learnt so much from since Covid.
- Our new jobs portal is live, connecting passionate outdoor professionals with the opportunities they need to thrive.
- At the ACHPER NSW conference, we spotlighted curriculum opportunities for Stage 5 and 6 students, bringing outdoor education to the forefront.
- ACT Camps for All: We celebrated a massive win with the election promise that ensures free camps for all ACT school children in 2025 to help with the rising cost of living!

All of which you can read more about in this newsletter. It’s been an exhilarating month, full of planning and implementation, great progress, and the kind of impact that reminds us why we do what we do.

And now, we can’t wait to see many of you next week at NOEC 2024 in Victoria! Let’s come together to celebrate, connect, and continue shaping the future of our industry.

See you soon! 🚀

Lori Modde

The first session with the Pinnacle Leadership Program Mentors 💚💙

More News

Click below for key topics

OUTDOOR QUALIFICATION
REVIEW

HumanAbility has launched the Outdoor Recreation Qualification Review project and now is the time to get involved.

Read the article below under "What Happened in November?" Members can watch Episode 38 of our Connect & Share Forums for more information.

OUTDOOR WORKFORCE SUPPORT PLANS

HumanAbility and SaCSA have released their Workforce Plans to help support the needs of the industry. HumanAbility covers us under Sport & Recreation while SaCSA covers us under Adventure Tourism. You can download the 2 workforce plans below:

- Humanability

- SaCSA

CONGRATULATIONS BLUE MOUNTAINS CLIMBING SCHOOL

Congratulations to the BLUE MOUNTAINS CLIMBING SCHOOL for being the 2nd best tourism business in NSW for its accessibility next to Balloon Aloft!

They took out the Silver Award in the

Excellence in Accessible Tourism category.

Well done Hugh, Bridie and the whole BMCS team!

For all the winners click here

NEW OUTDOOR JOBS PORTAL

All ONSWACT members can list their jobs on the Jobs Portal at no cost. You can contact us today to list your roles! This new portal gives you the ease to manage your own listings for any jobs you have coming up! https://www.outdoorsnswact.org/work-in-the-outdoors - Launched October 2024.

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY FAMIL PROGRAM

The opening of Western Sydney Airport is two years away (and it’s going to go fast). BMT is partnering with Blue Mountains, Penrith and Hawkesbury City Councils to help get your business ready.

Over 18 months we will be delivering a series of trade famils to help connect your business to potential customers so you can make the most of the new airport and leverage the visitors landing on our doorstep.

The famils will be tailored to suit different types of market segments, from luxury to self drive, adventure to wellness, inbound tours to business events, education and everything in between.

We want you to be part of the program!

To express your interest, we have put together a survey, that will take about four minutes to complete.

Link to the survey:https://forms.office.com/r/HyhVV5HvaV

WESTERN SYDNEY MOVING WHITE PAPER

Western Sydney is grappling with a physical inactivity crisis, with over 40% of adults insufficiently active. In comparison, in other areas of Sydney less than 30% of adults are insufficiently active. Physical inactivity costs the Western Sydney economy approximately $1.5 billion per annum in health burden, lost productivity and mortality.

The report’s five key recommendations are:
➡ Adopt a systems approach to combat inactivity in Western Sydney
➡ Prioritise a preventive health agenda centred on active lifestyles
➡ Address cultural and community-specific barriers to activity
➡ Invest in and activate spaces in the most marginalised areas
➡ Empower systems leadership at the local level.

The full report can be seen here.

NATURE PLAY RESEARCH

Courtesy of Macquarie University, we now have some current research confirming and bringing to light the opportunities of increasing nature play in the earlier years of a child's life. Members can download the presentation and report via your portal. The Outdoor Learning Committee will now be using this research to carve their projects in 2025.

BACK COUNTRY SUMMIT

42 stakeholders in the Back Country Alpine areas of Australia came together to discuss what we needed in a Good Practice Guide to protect our environment, people and reputation.

The discussion will help edit the current discussion paper to be submitted to the OCA as a good practice guide in the AAAS Framework.

NEW OFFICE OF SPORT NSW STRATEGY

Under their new Strategic Plan, they are committed to supporting all people, communities and organisations across NSW to enjoy the benefits of participating in sport and active recreation, by providing leadership, policies, programs, funding and infrastructure to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate. Read more below:

https://www.sport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-04/Strategic_Plan_2020-24.pdf

SUMMER SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMS

Are you running school holiday programs in the Summer break this year? We are already getting enquiries, so members please add to your ONSWACT website listing ASAP or email us the details so we can add for you contact@outdoorsnswact.com.au

SAVE THE DATE!
2025 SUMMIT

The Outdoor Industry Summit, will be held in Canberra 9-11 July 2025, with the NatCORR Summit being 9 July, and the ONSWACT Industry Summit 10 & 11 July. There will be optional site visits on the afternoon of 8 July. Tickets will go on sale in February 2025. Register to receive updates by going to https://outdoors.kartra.com/page/2025Summit

NEW LINKS FOR 2025 FORUMS

In 2024 we held Outdoor Educator Online Forums, Outdoor Leader Online Forums, Connect & Share Friday Forums and more... the new links for these forums will be distributed in December together with the 2025 Calendar of Events. Keep an eye out for all the opportunities you want to be involved in in 2025.

Membership Options for

Non-Members:

You can now pay by the month for your membership to help with cash flow and if you are not a member yet, you can commence a 7-day trial period and access the membership portal before paying to join. This enables you to see if you can benefit from your Outdoors NSW & ACT Membership.

Skills IQ Update

As the end of the year approaches SkillsIQ NSW ITAB Sport, Fitness & Recreation Industry Advisory Committee had our final meeting for the 2024.

It was agreed earlier in the year that a number of our meetings would be held face to face and Andrew Chan, Learning and Development Manager from "3 Bridges" offered to host the first one at the Penshurst Youth Facility. Andrew provided...........

....an overview of the amazing work done by 3Bridges, a dedicated For Impact organisation that aims to enhance the well-being of individuals across all life stages. Offering a wide range of solutions, including aged care, health services, youth programs, and childcare, 3Bridges is committed to making a meaningful impact with compassion and integrity.

Stan Wall, Chief Executive Officer of LSA Group of Companies organised for Scott Luff from BlueFit Group to join the meeting and then take the members for a guided tour of the Hurstville Sporting Facility next door.

It was eye opening to see the wide range of facilities provided from the cricket centre, the stadium, the gym and mutli user rooms and the pool including the slippery slide which we were told was loved by all ages.

The meeting discussion was wide ranging and robust, discussing challenges facing the sector with a particular focus on swimming and the need for more support to train instructors so that the sector could provide swimming lessons for communities across NSW.

It was agreed that meeting face-to-face was really worthwhile and provided an opportunity for some networking and relationship building.

The only ‘complaint’ on the day was from Melinda Brown, General Manager SkillsIQ, who said attendees should have been advised to bring their sporting and swimming attire!

Many thanks to the members who were able to attend and a huge shout out to Andrew and Stan who did the heavy lifting and made this final meeting for 2024 so worthwhile.

What happened in November?

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." — Helen Keller "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." — Helen Keller

GET THE SUMMIT NEWS FIRST

If you are interested to attend the 2025 Outdoor Industry Summit, where NatCORR will also be presenting the Outdoor Risk & Resilience Symposium, you can now register to receive notifications. Held in Canberra, you can choose any or all days to attend. Tickets will be available in February 2025.

Go to https://outdoors.kartra.com/page/2025Summit

WORKFORCE SHORTAGE SURVEY NOW OPEN

If you believe we have a workforce shortage in the Outdoor Industry outdoors, well now is the time to let the government know to get into the

Jobs and Skills Occupation Shortage List.

You have on-the-ground knowledge and experience of recruitment activity in your industry and your participation in this survey will improve the evidence we use to identify occupations in shortage.

The survey closes on Friday 7 March 2025 at 5pm (AEDT).

We encourage you to share this opportunity with your colleagues and business stakeholders, and relevant partners, to encourage them to participate and further grow our understanding. The more groups we have that participate, the more valuable the data set is.

EMPLOYMENT AWARD CHANGES COMING...

Some awards will have new definitions and minimum pay rates for entry-level classifications from 2025.

Minimum pay rates for some employees under affected awards may go up on the first full pay period on or after:1 January 2025. The following awards are affected:

Amusement Award
Australian Government Award
Fitness Award
Marine Tourism and Charter Vessels Award

Please review your awards to ensure you are compliant.

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/workplace-laws/award-changes/changes-to-entry-level-classifications-in-awards

OUTDOOR QUALIFICATIONS REVIEW

HumanAbility has launched the Outdoor Recreation Qualification Review project to critically evaluate and update qualifications in the sector to ensure they align with current industry needs, regulatory requirements, safety, and wellbeing outcomes.

The sector is currently grappling with a scarcity of skilled workers, casualisation of employment, high staff turnover, and a growing demand for outdoor activities. This review aims to ensure that outdoor recreation professionals are equipped with relevant, up-to-date skills and knowledge to effectively meet current and emerging demands.

Get involved by visiting the project webpage to sign up for updates and consultation opportunities: Outdoor Recreation Qualification Review – HumanAbility.

NEW NATIONAL PARKS NSW ACCOUNT PORTAL

You can subscribe to NSW National Parks alerts and closures in 2 ways. The first option is the easiest and what most visitors like to do.

Create a NSW National Parks account and log in

You'll get an automated email when any of your subscribed parks or attractions:

closes
is re-opened
has a future closure published
the date of a future closure changes.

https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/safety/alerts-subscribe

FEDERAL TOPICS DISCUSSED IN LEAD UP TO ELECTION

Hot on our radar is the workforce challenges and appropriate visa access, employment conditions and award challenges, and opportunities. In addition, various policy implications, including AMSA Domestic Commercial Vessel regulations, tort law, education leadership, climate change, tax reform and funding for active recreation.

We will be working with the OCA on our election position and working with elected representatives on our requests.

DEFENCE ADVENTUROUS TRAINING TENDER UPDATE

While the proposed tender has been taken off scope for now, it is hoped that it will return in 2025. We will continue to work with the Department of Defence on opportunities for the industry.

Announcing the Outdoor Jobs Portal

Exciting news! We have developed a job board for the outdoor industry. Outdoors NSW & ACT member's can list their jobs for free, so get in touch with us to get your member code.

memberships@outdoorsnswact.com.au for inquiries.

LIST YOUR JOB TODAY

Promote your Outdoor Activities & Careers to New Audiences

Check out our public-facing Facebook pages! We share both outdoor career opportunities and outdoor experiences with our members that you can get involved in today.

Outdoor Careers

Outdoor Experiences

More Important News

OUTDOOR CENSUS WILL BE RELEASED IN DECEMBER

Following last year's census, Outdoors NSW & ACT will be releasing the next census survey, for the 2025 Census, in December. We urge all the industry to complete the census survey to ensure we have the data that supports advocacy and action for the Outdoor Industry. This year's census has been able to be used in many ways to support the industry, policy and action.
SAVE THE DATES
2025 is just around the corner and here are some dates for your diaries... there is a continual focus for peak bodies, as they strive to bring you the best opportunities to network, be informed and connect with thought leaders.
- 9th - 11th July 2025, The Outdoor Industry Summit, including the NatCORR Outdoor Risk & Resilience Summit
- 24-26th September 2025, The Outdoor Learning Mini Conference at Birrigai Outdoor School
And that's all we are going to reveal at this time, but we already have some great things planned for you at these events!

Resources for Members

Everything you need to know about the psychosocial hazards, new IR laws, legislation that impacts our industry and more are available on the member's portal. Members can login into the membership portal to access over 350 different resources available for your use. We add to this portal every week with content.

You can also search for all the topics presented at the Connect & Share forums last year. Members can access it via this link:

https://outdoors.kartra.com/portal/login/index.

Or non-members can join us here and you will get immediate access to the portal:

https://www.outdoorsnswact.org/membershiplevels

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OUTDOOR QUALIFICATION REVIEW