Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:00a.m.
The father of an English tourist killed river boarding near Queenstown is taking his concerns about adventure tourism regulation to Prime Minister John Key.
Chris Jordan, father of Emily Jordan, said yesterday he planned to contact the Tourism Minister to push for "good quality legislation" to replace voluntary guidelines in the adventure tourism industry.
When told the tourism minister was also the prime minister, he replied Mr Key would be "the right person to talk to", the Otago Daily Times reported.
Ms Jordan, 21, drowned after getting stuck under a rock in the Kawarau River Gorge in Central Otago last April.
Mad Dog River Boarding was yesterday sentenced on two counts of not ensuring the safety of Ms Jordan or others.
The company, operated by Brad McLeod, was fined $66,000 by the and ordered to pay $80,000 in reparations to Ms Jordan's family.
Another charge against the company and three charges against McLeod were dropped after the company on Monday changed its plea to guilty to two of the charges.
Mr Jordan said he would watch developments in the New Zealand adventure tourism sector, saying the guidelines around river boarding buoyancy aids needed tightening.
"We have got to get something out of this, otherwise Emily's death would be for nothing," he told The Otago Daily Times.
"Many activities in New Zealand carry little or no regulation.
"I have a major problem with this. If anyone wanted to, say, start up a new activity tomorrow going down a river on your head, it would be permissible."
Though the incident had tarnished New Zealand's reputation as an adventure tourism destination in Britain, he thought the prosecution had been taken seriously.
He would continue to tell that to the British media, he said.
NZPA
