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Outdoor Industry Connect & Share Forums

Outdoor Industry Connect & Share Forums

Hosted by Outdoors NSW & ACT

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Episodes

158

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

A weekly opportunity to connect on important topics and content specific to the Outdoor Industry in Australia

Listen to episodes

60 recent
August 14, 2026Episode 2628 min

The Outdoor Industry Census Reality Check

Send us Fan MailThe outdoor industry runs on passion, but passion is not a plan. We’re recorded live with our professional outdoor community, and we use this week’s Connect and Share to put real numbers behind what many providers have been feeling on the ground across New South Wales and the ACT.We start with key sector updates and community notices, then move into the heart of the session: three years of Outdoor Industry Census results. We break down how the overall industry mix stays steady across outdoor education, adventure tourism, outdoor recreation, nature therapy, and industry supporters, while outcomes inside those segments tell very different stories. Outdoor education shows a clear slide in participation and confidence, adventure tourism trends upward with stronger outlook signals, and outdoor recreation sits in a “watch and act” middle ground. We also explain why nature therapy needs a deeper data dive as wellness tourism and mental health needs grow.The workforce picture is the wake-up call. We talk churn rising from 13% to 19.5%, the growing reliance on casual staffing, and why worker shortfall becomes the top capacity constraint for the first time in the census. We quantify the scale of unmet demand, point to the biggest skills gaps (outdoor leadership qualifications and wilderness or remote first aid), and share practical benchmarks like typical revenue per participant and the wide spread of annual turnover across organizations.We close by connecting the data to what is likely driving these shifts, including cost-of-living pressure, changing community connection to outdoor education, and the difficulty of replacing experienced staff and volunteers, then we outline how we’re using this evidence for advocacy leading into future policy windows. Subscribe for weekly industry insights, share this with someone who hires or trains outdoor staff, and leave a review with the one change you think would most strengthen the outdoor sector.Support the showTo stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube ChannelOur members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.

August 7, 2026Episode 2550 min

Visa Pathways For Outdoor Guides

Send us Fan MailParents are asking for more than grades, they want real visibility into how their kids are going socially and behaviorally at school, and they want answers fast. We walk through new McCrindle Research on communicating with today’s parents, including the channels that cut through (email still wins), what frustrates families (too many apps, too much irrelevant info), and the response times many now expect. If you run outdoor education programs, camps, or school-based experiences, these insights matter because trust is built in the small updates, not just the end-of-term report.Then we switch to the other big pressure point our sector can’t ignore: staffing. With outdoor guide shortages still extreme, migration lawyer Liz from Welcome Legal maps the visa landscape in plain English, focusing on what employers must do to stay compliant. We talk practical work rights verification, VEVO checks, contract clauses, planning ahead for visa expiries, and why bridging visas can change what you see in the system.Liz also outlines common pathways and pitfalls across visitor visas, student visa work limits, partner visas, working holiday rules, short stay specialist options, and employer-sponsored routes like the Skills in Demand 482 and Employer Nomination Scheme 186. We finish with a grounded Q&A on role wording, sponsorship timing, and where to start if you’re trying to bring a skilled outdoor professional to Australia. If this helped, subscribe, share with a colleague who hires guides, and leave a review so more outdoor employers can find it.Support the showTo stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube ChannelOur members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.

July 31, 202635 min

Free Legal Help For Not-For-Profits

Send us Fan MailIf you run a not-for-profit or community organisation, legal uncertainty can quietly drain time, money, and energy, until it suddenly becomes a crisis. We sit down with Kaela Hughes from Justice Connect to map out a clearer path: where to find plain-English legal resources, what kinds of issues their Not-for-Profit Law program can help with, and how the free advice and pro bono referral process actually works for eligible groups, including many regional and community-based services. We also get practical about what boards, committees, and managers can do right now to reduce risk: tightening governance, modernizing an old constitution, running compliant meetings, and keeping employment and volunteer arrangements on solid ground. Kayla breaks down the difference between self-serve legal information, specialist legal advice, webinars, and tailored training, including the reality of timeframes and why detailed intake information helps get your matter triaged faster. Then we shift to outdoor industry updates across NSW and the ACT, with timely reminders on standards reviews and training changes, plus a marketing segment you can use immediately. AI is reshaping travel planning and discovery, which means your captions, on-screen text, spoken words in video, location tags, and metadata now act like SEO signals. We close with a surprisingly important advocacy tip for Census Night: the exact wording of your job title can determine whether the outdoor workforce gets counted accurately in national data. Subscribe for more outdoor industry insights, share this with someone running a community group, and leave a review so more not-for-profits can find the legal and governance help they need.Support the showTo stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube ChannelOur members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.

July 24, 2026Episode 2337 min

A Hawkweed Warning For Outdoor Operators

Send us Fan MailOne small choice outdoors can ripple into something massive: a moment of inattention around water, or a few seeds stuck in a boot tread, can change lives and landscapes. We start with World Drowning Prevention Day and the sobering reality that drowning stats are still trending the wrong way, then talk about what it means for outdoor educators, guides, and operators who work around water every week.We also share what we learned from coming together as an industry at the outdoor learning conference, masterclass, and awards night, including the strongest themes from your feedback: keep the networking, make sessions more hands-on, sharpen the focus, and prioritize face-to-face connection. From there we flag time-sensitive items that shape the future of outdoor work, including open consultation on AAAS proposed changes, final industry engagement on VET outdoor leadership qualifications, and practical safety updates like SafeWork Australia’s lithium-ion battery toolkit.Then we hand over to Emma from National Parks and Wildlife NSW for a clear, practical briefing on invasive weeds, with hawkweed as the standout threat. You’ll learn why hawkweed can create damaging monocultures, how to recognize key features, and how outdoor businesses can reduce biosecurity risk through Clean Arrive Clean Leave hygiene, role modeling with clients, and fast reporting with accurate photos and location details.If you care about water safety, biodiversity, and the credibility of the outdoor industry in NSW and the ACT, hit subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review that helps the right people find it.Support the showTo stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube ChannelOur members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.

July 10, 2026Episode 2236 min

How Charities Keep Support When Optimism Drops

Send us Fan MailDonor loyalty is changing fast, and the outdoor industry can learn a lot from it. We open with community and sector updates across Outdoors NSW ACT, including NAIDOC Week reflections, upcoming sessions with Gadhungal Marring, and key reminders for anyone tracking professional standards and events.We also walk through what’s live right now for the industry: the AAAS review draft documents and webinar schedule, a hiring notice with Bushwalking NSW, the next draft release of the Outdoor Recreation and Leadership Training Package, and a last call window for the Pinnacle Leadership Program. If you work in outdoor education, outdoor recreation, or nature-based tourism, these deadlines and opportunities shape what capability looks like over the next year.Then we dig into the headline research: McCrindle’s not-for-profit insights on public sentiment, donor behaviour, and volunteerism. Optimism is declining, yet giving remains steady, and the reasons matter. We talk cause-over-brand decision-making, generational differences (especially Gen Z donors), the TEM equation of time, energy, and money, and why donors increasingly want systemic solutions plus clear proof their support is working.The most forward-looking shift is how AI and digital research are influencing donation choices. We unpack “portfolio giving,” impact comparisons, trust signals like transparency and authenticity, and why leaders can’t hide behind a logo anymore. If you want better donor retention, stronger community support, and messaging that earns trust, you’ll leave with a practical checklist of what to communicate and how.Subscribe for more industry insights, share this with someone leading comms or fundraising, and leave a review if it helped. What’s one change you could make this month to show impact more clearly?Support the showTo stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube ChannelOur members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.

July 3, 2026Episode 2125 min

Stop Selling Tickets And Start Selling Trust

Send us Fan MailTravel is still happening, but the way people choose outdoor experiences is shifting under our feet. We’re seeing it in Canberra, across NSW, and in every conversation with operators: visitors are more selective, more anxious about wasting money, and far less patient with clunky booking paths. We call it a value of living crisis, not just a cost of living crisis, and it forces all of us in outdoor tourism and outdoor education to get sharper about what we offer and how we explain it.We break down what current tourism research signals about today’s visitor, why overnight stays matter so much to the visitor economy, and how destinations can win when operators collaborate instead of competing in isolation. Then we get practical: mapping the visitor journey, finding friction points by booking your own product, and strengthening “bookability” as search moves toward the no click revolution where AI can answer weekend plans without sending people to your website.We also share what we’ve learned from years of tourism awards judging, including how to prove impact with evidence, tell a story with real passion, and use recognition or award programs as a genuine professional development process. Finally, we walk through the AAAS review: where to download the draft standards and good practice guides, how to use the feedback portal, key consultation dates, and what to expect from the upcoming AAAS guidance hub.Subscribe so you don’t miss the next Connect and Share, and if this helped, share it with a colleague and leave a review so more outdoor professionals can find it.Support the showTo stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube ChannelOur members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.

June 26, 2026Episode 2041 min

What The New South Wales Budget Means For Outdoor Recreation And Nature Tourism

Send us Fan MailA budget can look like a win or a loss depending on where you stand, but outdoor operators feel the impact where it counts: access, participation, safety expectations, and whether people actually show up. We walk through the latest NSW budget with an outdoor industry lens, including what’s happening across sport and recreation, destination marketing, national parks investment, education infrastructure, and the stubborn gap in preventive health funding. Along the way, we share the clear policy positions we’re pushing so outdoor recreation gets treated as essential active lifestyle infrastructure.Then we shift into fresh Tourism Research Australia insights from the Annual Benchmark Report on Australia’s visitor economy. Domestic travel still does the heavy lifting, regional “outdoor and nature” leads, and there’s a massive opportunity to extend length of stay by packaging better local experiences. We also look at international visitor trends and what regional New South Wales can do to communicate its offering more effectively, especially as key source markets shift.Finally, we get practical with a camp pricing review and a pricing strategy framework built for real businesses. Instead of copying competitor rates, we lay out what should drive sustainable pricing: your value proposition, overheads, development pipeline, customer experience systems, and risk management investment. If you run camps, outdoor education programs, or adventure tourism experiences, you’ll leave with clearer next steps and better language for explaining your value. Subscribe, share this with someone in the outdoor industry, and leave a review to help more operators find the conversation.Support the showTo stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube ChannelOur members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.

June 19, 2026Episode 1917 min

If One Assumption Flips Would Your Business Win

Send us Fan MailSomething big shifted on July 1, and if you run an outdoor business you can’t afford to “sort it out later.” We walk through the real-world updates we’re seeing across New South Wales and the ACT, starting with what it takes to keep showing up for your community even when you’re on the road, dealing with tech hiccups, and juggling a busy season.We share highlights from the Venture Outdoors Co season launch and the simple idea we love: meet the mountain on its terms. From there we jump into practical opportunities and deadlines, including the NSW Tourism Awards nomination window and why the submission process can sharpen your tourism offering, marketing, and operations through structured reflection and judges’ feedback. We also point you to the 30 by 30 Nature Economics report, a must-read for anyone who depends on healthy parks, waterways, and landscapes to deliver outdoor recreation and outdoor education experiences.Then we get into the compliance checklist that matters for employers and employees: minimum wage increases, payday super, software changes after the small business clearing house ends, paid parental leave updates, ASIC fee rises, the permanent $20,000 instant asset write-off, and the new SMS sender ID register requirement. We round out with what’s coming up across the calendar, including a Canberra member meetup, the Pinnacle Leadership Program, a small business masterclass covering AI, automation, cybersecurity, and marketing, plus the industry awards and outdoor learning conference in Jervis Bay.If this helped you get clear on next steps, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review so more outdoor leaders can find the updates when they need them.Support the showTo stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube ChannelOur members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.

June 15, 2026Episode 1836 min

The Trail Bike Economy Is Bigger Than You Think

Send us Fan MailIf you work in the outdoor industry in New South Wales or the ACT, the next few months are packed with decisions that shape your people, your compliance, and your impact. We start on the ground at the Blue Mountains Local Active Partnership launch, where the challenge is bigger than any single program: inactivity is rising alongside chronic disease, and many communities face real barriers to “traditional” fitness. Outdoor recreation is a powerful alternative, especially when we design for inclusion and belonging instead of assuming everyone wants competitive sport.We then shift into a practical, business-owner view of what’s changing and what’s coming. Think wage and award updates, payday super requirements, the end of the ATO small business super clearinghouse, fee increases you’ll feel in your budget, and new rules like SMS Sender ID registration for branded texts. We also flag reforms on the horizon, from non-compete clause changes to the evolving e-bike and micro-mobility landscape, plus emerging WHS focus areas like psychosocial hazards and fatigue.The back half goes deep on trail bike riding research, based on refreshed survey analysis and the local council toolkit work. We talk demographics, the mental health and physical health drivers behind why people ride, and the economic contribution to regional towns, including how rider trips translate into local spending. We also name the friction points clearly: affordability, registration settings, locked gates, land policy shifts, perception, and limited junior-friendly access, then walk through policy options that could actually move the needle.If this helps, subscribe so you don’t miss the weekly updates, share it with someone running an outdoor business, and leave a review with the one policy or access change you want to see next.Support the showTo stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube ChannelOur members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.

June 8, 2026Episode 1720 min

We Rethink Outdoor Leadership For A Changing Generation

Send us Fan MailThe outdoor industry doesn’t stand still, and neither can we. We’re coming to you live from the Outdoors NSW and ACT Connect and Share Forum with a fast-moving mix of field-tested leadership ideas, workforce updates, and practical dates you can put straight into your calendar.We start with what’s happening on the ground, including the launch of a local government toolkit for trail bike riding and why it matters for councils, land managers, and the visitor economy. From there, we zoom out to the bigger leadership challenge we’re all seeing: shifting demographics, highly digital young people, and growing pressure on resilience and mental health. I break down the five Cs of outdoor leadership (connection, coaching, challenge, celebration, and change) and why the “coach” mindset is becoming essential across outdoor education, adventure tourism, and recreation.Then we get into the operational essentials: the national minimum wage rises by 4.75% from July 1, and employers need to adjust payroll accordingly. We also share progress on the AAAS review and the Knowledge Skills Experience Framework, plus an update on the VET review timeline that points to endorsement in 2027. Finally, we run through key events and opportunities including Outdoor Office Day, member meetups, leadership training, our masterclass and industry awards, and the outdoor learning conference featuring Maggie Dent, before closing with a useful snapshot from Macrindle Research on psychological safety, structural support, training and development, and flexibility.Subscribe so you don’t miss the weekly pulse of the outdoor sector, and if this helped, share it with a colleague and leave a quick review.Support the showTo stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube ChannelOur members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.

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