Tourism operators have until November 1 to complete a safety audit and become registered under a new Adventure Activity health and safety regime.

About 70 operators have or are very close to achieving registration, with around 350 operators yet to pass a safety audit and become registered.

Simon blokarting in March 2012.

Tauranga MP and Labour Minister Simon Bridges announced the new regime yesterday.

After November 1, it will be illegal to operate an adventure or outdoor activity that is subject to the regulations unless an operation has passed a safety audit and achieved registration.

Operators found to be flouting the regulations will face compliance and enforcement action.

Simon was scheduled to jump out of a plane today to Tauranga Tandem Skydive celebrate receiving their full compliance of certification from the Civil Aviation Authority.

But due to bad weather, the flight has been cancelled.

Simon said he was nervous about the flight.

'I have done this once before but having children now makes me more aware of my own mortality.”

The jump was also going to be a move to help promote the Government's new Adventure Activity health and safety regime.

'We have four new audit providers on board. The new audit providers are taking bookings, and every operator is getting free support from the Government; there's a financial incentive in place,” says Simon.

'The path we are on will see New Zealand take the international lead in the adventure tourism and outdoors sector.”

Simon says the regulations are about safety, protecting people as well as protecting New Zealand's reputation, and protecting people's livelihoods.

'There is no place for cowboys in this sector. They're out. There's no place for ‘I've always done it this way and I've never had an accident, so I don't need to change'. That's out.

'The only way forward for New Zealand's adventure activities sector is a sustainable, consistent, auditable, enforceable regulatory system in which everybody is doing things the right way every time, and they've got the documented systems to prove it.”

In the year to March, the tourism industry brought in $9.8 billion into the New Zealand economy.

It accounts for 16.1 per cent of New Zealand export revenue and 5.7 per cent of the workforce.

'In 2013 we committed to investing an additional $158 million into tourism over four years.

'That included $44.5 million to attract visitors from emerging markets like India, Indonesia and Latin America, and $24.5 million to boost existing markets like Australia, the US and the UK.” Simon says $20 million more is going into attracting premium visitors – the kind who travel by private jet, buy your premium products, and have the potential to build strong business connections.

'We're putting $34 million into attracting high value business events to New Zealand, and $28 million into partnering with businesses to lift innovation and productivity through the Tourism Growth partnership.”

Simon says the registration process slowed for a few months while there was no audit provider, but things are now picking up pace.

'It was never the intention that the scheme would depend on just one provider, but a huge amount of work has been going on behind the scenes to resolve this issue in good time, and that's now behind us.” The regime has been signalled for three years.

'By my reckoning, every single notified operator should have been sitting with their Safety Management Plans in hand waiting for the announcement of new recognised audit providers.

'Whether or not that's the case, we now have four new providers on board and taking bookings.”

The deadline for this is November 1 and Simon says this is not going to change.

'We've acknowledged the uncertainty faced by operators this year by stepping in with free advice and help in the form of six safety advisers who are dedicated to giving tailored support to every operator who wants it.

'They are reading Safety Management Plans, making recommendations, answering questions and making every effort to assist operators.”

The Government has stumped up with a financial support incentive to assist operators.

WorkSafe NZ will pay $1000, or in some cases up to $1500, towards the cost of an audit for operators who have an audit contract in place with a recognised audit provider by July 31.