Big policy shifts are heading for the outdoor industry, and we unpack them with clarity and care. We start with fast‑moving industry news—AAAS updates shaping good practice and insurance, National Parks timelines for closures and the new Mulumun track, a major tender for the Jindabyne Adventure Park, and key dates for awards, training, subsidies, and the occupational shortage survey—then turn to a focused briefing from the Office of the Children’s Guardian on the review of the Working With Children Check.
We walk through how the WWCC actually works today and why it’s only one part of a broader Child Safe Standards framework born from the Royal Commission. From there, we dig into the proposals on the table: clarifying who needs a check, whether ride-share drivers for unaccompanied teens should be captured, how under‑18 exemptions might change for paid roles and placements, and if co‑workers of youth in general workplaces should be included. We also explore nuanced care settings—relative and kinship carers, continuing residence approvals for household members—and how to balance risk reduction with family stability.
On operations, we hit the pain points leaders care about: renewal flexibility during disasters, whether mandatory training solves real problems, if people reapplying after a bar should work while assessed, and how to fix verification blind spots with labor‑hire hosts and self‑employed tutors. We consider stronger compliance powers and public warnings for repeat or serious breaches, plus smarter notification rules so status changes reach the right person fast. The Q&A surfaces frontline impacts, especially on youth pathways for instructors in a tight labor market, and the need for national harmonisation to stop border confusion.
If you run outdoor programs, guide education, or manage volunteers, this is a plain‑English map of what could change, why it matters, and where your voice counts. Listen, share with your team, and add your perspective to the Have Your Say process so child safety and workforce sustainability move forward together. Enjoy the episode, then subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: which proposed change helps—or hurts—your operations most?
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