29 February 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
🌟 Welcome to the February wrap up and enjoy reading about what's yet to come.
We are thrilled to showcase how our peak body continues to enhance opportunities for industry engagement on pivotal topics and areas of need, bolstering our advocacy efforts and professional development initiatives.
In our ongoing commitment to excellence, we've recently concluded the feedback phase for the Snow Guidance Note, a critical resource for our back country operators. The Back Country Committee eagerly anticipate returning to industry stakeholders soon with the final version, poised for release ahead of the forthcoming snow season in Australia.
Our collective Friday discussions have already delved into significant matters this year, including a close examination of a current coroner's court case and its implications for heat management strategies. Additionally, we've thoroughly explored the intricacies of the IR Bill, shedding light on its implications for employers, fostering a deeper understanding within our industry. Make sure you watch back these recordings if you missed them.
Looking ahead, we are excited about the lineup of face-to-face events slated for this year, including the members' MasterClass and the Outdoor Learning Mini-Conference in July, and the Mountain Bike Symposium in October. These events serve as invaluable platforms for networking, learning, and collaboration within our vibrant industry.
Furthermore, we are thrilled to announce a series of webinars tailored for professional development purposes, one for senior leaders, one for outdoor educators and the other for those in the training / qualifications sector of our industry. Read more in this newsletter.
As we embark on another year of growth and innovation, we invite you to join us in these enriching endeavors, as together, we continue to shape the future of the outdoor industry in NSW & ACT.
Enjoy the newsletter and have a fabulous March!
Lori Modde
CEO, Outdoors NSW & ACT Limited &
The Australian Outdoor Industry
WORK WANTED
EXPERIENCED & PASSIONATE
Jessica is very passionate about Outdoor Recreation so much so she wants to become more involved as an employee. She has a Masters in Teaching, a Bachelor in Physical Activity and Health Science, First Aid/CPR and Bronze Medallion and a WWCC. She is currently planning to complete her Cert III in Outdoor Leadership. A brief history of her working career includes:
- American Summer Camps (general counsellor, high ropes instructor and lifeguard)
- Managing a Wake Boarding/Aqua Park in Sydney (currently)
- Working as a Secondary PDHPE Teacher (Currently)
- Coach for a sporting company that runs programs like afternoon clinics, birthday parties, holiday programs
- Volunteered for Edmund Rice Camps
If she sounds like a staff member you want, get in touch with Outdoors NSW & ACT ASAP.
NSW CURRICULUM REVIEW - FINAL STAGE PDHPE
As of 26 February 2024, NESA has released the final 8 draft syllabuses for final public consultation. The relevant syllabuses for inclusion of the outdoors being HSIE, PDHPE & Geography.
You only have 2 weeks to provide your feedback on these drafts. Submissions close on 11 March. Outdoors NSW & ACT and the Education Committee will be putting in a submission. If you would like us to include any of your feedback please send to us by the 8th March to ceo@outdoorsnswact.com.au
ACTIVE KIDS PROGRAM
The new program is currently taking applications from eligible providers. For details about the new program and how to apply, please visit the Service NSW website.
2024 DISCUSSIONS TO BE PART OF...
RTO & VET Forum
- Bimonthly forum on training and education in Outdoor Leadership, recreation, tourism and therapy.
Senior Leader Forums
- Operational discussions about risk management and challenges when leading teams.
Land Manager Forums
- Where the land managers discuss similar access, maintenance, customer licensing and much more and how it relates to Outdoor Leaders & Operators.
Outdoor Industry Connect & Share Forums
- Every Friday 10am we hold an opportunity for the industry to connect and discuss topics of interest.
Outdoor Industry Happy Hours
- Every Friday at 4pm we have a casual conversation about ideas, opportunities or downloads of the week.
Links to attend the relevant forums can be located in the membership portal.
NEW IR LAWS ADOPTED FEBRUARY 2024
We have been discussing these new rulings in our recent Connect & Share sessions to help members to understand what this means for the Outdoor Industry. Of significant interest is the new Casual Transition and also the Right to Disconnect. Review the 23 Feb Connect & Share episode for more information and a full explanation of the Casual Transition in a video on the members' portal home page under "Latest Information"
FEE-FREE TRAINING EXTENDED
Fee-Free training has been extended in NSW for a further three (3) years. This extension will deliver 147,400 fee-free places from January 1, 2024, to December 2026.
Funding allocated for the first 6 months of 2024 will only be for full qualifications, but there is also a new set of eligible courses that align with national and state priorities. Places have been split between TAFE NSW and other Smart & Skilled providers.
CURRENT GRANTS AVAILABLE
A special edition Member Newsletter was sent out this week with some key grants that are applicable to our industry. Look back to locate this newsletter or login to the member's portal. Under Member Resources choose the Grants tab.
SAFEWORK NSW CHANGES
SafeWork NSW
NSW is planning a transformation of SafeWork into a standalone regulator following the report handed down by Robert McDougall KC.
Other recommendations include:
- Requiring SafeWork to keep those affected by workplace incidents, including families of deceased workers and those seriously injured at work, informed of progress of investigations and prosecutions.
- Training more inspectors in dealing with psychosocial hazards in the workplace such as extreme workload and bullying.
- Revising complaints handling policies.
- Formalising data collection and analysis to improve compliance and enforcement decisions.
Read the report here
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.
CHILD SAFE WEBINARS
Recognising Boundaries and Managing Behaviours of Children and Young People - 6th March 7:30pm AEDT
Transporting and Travelling with Children and Young People - 21st March 7:30pm AEDT
Conduct your own self-assessment on how you comply with the Child Safe Standards here
What happened in February?
Outdoors NSW & ACT has been actively involved and attended many meetings this month in relation to the new Great Koala National Park development, Canberra Tourism Industry Update, Catholic Education OE opportunities, Humanability's Industry Reference Committee, Service and Creative Skills Australia Strategic Workforce Advisory Group, the Sport NSW Conference and ABLA's briefing on the new IR regulations. In addition, our CEO was able to call in to Pymble Ladies College as ONSWACT Ambassador Ky Furneaux was guest facilitator. Results of this program will be on the International Stage next week at the International Outdoor Education Research Conference. Well done to Vanessa and her Vision Valley team and the researchers from Western Sydney University, including Prof Tonia Gray and Helen Cooper.
Any information that comes from meetings during the month as well as any product recalls like the MSR/Cascade Designs Camping Cooking Pots is shared in our weekly Connect & Share forums on Friday mornings. If you haven't joined a Connect & Share session yet, pick a Friday and come and join us. Register using the links below. Also, here are some quick links to take you to some of the important information for the industry.
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Outdoor Industry MasterClass
OPENS FOR REGISTRATIONS
With thanks to Destination NSW, the MasterClass is confirmed for Port Macquarie, NSW, from 18-19 July, followed by an Outdoor Learning Mini Conference on 20 July. The MasterClass is ideally suited for middle to senior management and the forum is for any outdoor educators from pre-school to high-school.
Platinum & Gold tickets are now open. If you have qualified for either of these options, you will have received an invitation by email from us already. Make sure you claim your ticket, if you haven't already.
As at 31 December, all members who have achieved a PD Score of 500 or 350 received a significantly discounted pass to the MasterClass. Those who achieve similar points before 31 March will also have the opportunity on 1 April.
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2024 Outdoor Learning Mini Conference
Confirmed to be held in Port Macquarie, NSW, it will follow the Outdoor Industry MasterClass, and be held on Saturday 20th July at The Nature School.
All outdoor educators from pre-school to high-school are invited to the Educators Forum. Complete our Survey to tell us what you would like to see at this event and stay informed about the EOI for presenters and ticket release.
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Heat Management
Review the Connect & Share from 23 Feb as we discuss the outcomes from a recent Coroners Court Report and its implications on heat stress management. It highlighted the importance of policies like the Sports Medicine Australia Extreme Heat Policy from 2021.
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Calling Senior Leaders in the Outdoors
These professional development webinars have been designed with you in mind and we invite all to particpate in these discussions that will help to support you in your day to day work. We understand the pressures and the squeeze that occurs in the middle ranks and we are hear to help.
Senior Leaders Forums (held quarterly, on the 4th Monday at 9am, in Mar, June, Sept)
Check your membership portal under Industry Events for registration links.
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Women in Leadership Program
This program is slightly delayed due to unforeseen circumstances but will take flight in this financial year. We will be asking for applications very soon. If you know of a woman in the outdoor industry that would benefit from some professional development opportunities that could take them from potential to success and would see them achieving great things in the industry, then this program is for them. Watch for more information.
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2024 Mountain Bike Symposium
SAVE THE DATE - now set to be on 25th & 26th October, this event is not to be missed for anyone involved in MTB. This symposium will bring a combination of important topics, research, discussions in relation to the future sustainability of MTB for social, health, environmental and economic benefits. Register your interest below to ensure you don't miss information as it comes to hand.
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Resources for members
Everything you need to know about the 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:
Trends in Sport & Rec
Want to understand what the CSIRO says about our future trends? Join us on 1 March in our Connect & Share Forum
PLA NSW ACT Conference
Parks & Leisure Australia state conference will be held 4th - 6th June 2024 this year.
SBAT
Any operator interested in considering taking School-Based Apprenticeships and Trainees, please reach out ASAP
Skills IQ Forum
The next Skills IQ Sport & Recreation forum will be held on 22nd March in Jindabyne.
Save the Date
18, 19, 20 July 2024
OUTDOOR INDUSTRY MASTERCLASS for Senior Leaders and Professionals
18 & 19 July - Port Macquarie NSW
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Mini Conference for Educators of Outdoor Learning
20 July - Port Macquarie NSW
Registrations will be open soon. Complete our survey on what you would like to see in the Mini Conference.
For details on partnering with us at this event, email ceo@outdoorsnswact.com.au to receive our 2024 Partnership Prospectus
SUSTAINABILITY SKILLS MICROCREDENTIALS
Very soon, medium to large businesses will be required by law to report to ASIC on their sustainability risks. Be ahead of the curveball and understand more now with this program brought to you by Destination NSW and EarthCheck, the world’s leading sustainable advisory and scientific bench-marking company.
The Sustainability Skills Micro-credentials are:
- Sustainability 101
- Sustainability Management, and
- Sustainability and your Experience Delivery.
Completing these online courses will help visitor economy businesses to:
- Increase operational efficiency and reduce costs
- Increase their sustainability knowledge
- Deliver on visitor demand for sustainable experiences
- Implement practical solutions in their business
- Build a reputation through sustainable action.
Places are limited and free. Successful applicants will be notified by email and provided with log-in details to commence the micro-credentials. Participants have until 30 June 2024 to complete the three courses.
FRIDAY
CONNECT & SHARE FORUMS
Open to only members of Outdoors NSW & ACT, every week at 10am, keep up to date with all you need to know as well as hear from guest speakers on various topics of interest for the outdoor industry.
FRIDAY
HAPPY HOUR
CHATS
Open to anyone in the industry to connect and debrief the week that was, brainstorm ideas, download on challenging situations or just simply connect with like minds across the industry.
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