Bungy jumping standard to take a leap forward with new revision

Modern commercial bungy jumping was developed and popularised right here in New Zealand Aotearoa when A.J. Hackett opened the first commercial site at Kawarau Bridge in 1988. It remains one of the country’s most iconic adventure activities for over 150,000 thrill seekers and contributes towards New Zealand’s tourism industry worth over $40 billion annually.

With significant advances in technology, equipment and safety practices since the standard was last revised, the project aims to ensure that the joint Australian/New Zealand document continues to reflect contemporary practice and supports high levels of safety, innovation and public confidence – making it the world’s leading guidance.

The world’s leading guidance on bungy jumping

The current standard, AS/NZS 5848:2000, was first published as a New Zealand‑only document in 1990 and later adopted as a joint Australian/New Zealand standard. While it still contains relevant principles, it has not kept pace with changes in the industry, including new recovery systems, advances in harness and cord technologies, digital record‑keeping, and improved understanding of medical and operational risk.

In New Zealand, bungy operators are required to be registered under the Health and Safety at Work (Adventure Activities) Regulations 2016 and must periodically pass independent safety audits. A clear, up‑to‑date standard that reflects current good practice can assist operators, auditors and regulators by providing a consistent benchmark against which safety systems and operations can be assessed.

There is also an international context. New Zealand and Australia are recognised as global leaders in bungy jumping, and AS/NZS 5848 has been adopted or referenced in other jurisdictions. At the same time, alternative international guidance is emerging that could be considered less detailed or less suited to local conditions. Updating the AS/NZS standard helps ensure that the region continues to set a high and appropriate benchmark for the activity.

Jumping to next steps

The SF‑044 committee - a balanced group representing bungy operators, engineering services, safety certification bodies, regulators and business organisations - has been established to bring it into line with modern practice while maintaining a clear focus on safety and operational clarity. The revised standard will:

• reflect current equipment, materials and recovery systems
• improve internal consistency and clarity
• adopt contemporary standards structure and clause numbering
• use neutral, generic language for certification and auditing, rather than referencing specific providers
• allow for digital systems and records where appropriate.

The revised standard is expected to deliver benefits across the bungy jumping ecosystem, including providing clear guidance, strengthen training, competence and fatigue management and incident reporting for operators. In addition, it can support consistent interpretation by regulators and auditors and provide members of the public with greater confidence.

The committee has completed their first meeting and will progress with developing a draft to match scope. Final publication of the revised standard is currently scheduled for May 2027.

Keep an eye out for public consultation expected later this year, when anyone with an interest can provide feedback or suggestions on the first draft. To keep up to date on progress, sign up for a free account and choose 'keep me up to date' on the AS/NZS 5848 product page or choose 'Tourism and hospitality' in your sector preferences.