There is something quietly telling about the fact that in New Zealand, until recently, the rules for a bouncy castle at a school fair and a huge Ferris wheel at a traveling carnival were the same. Not exactly the same rules, but close enough that operators and local councils have had to work with a system that many people think wasn’t really made with them in mind. That tension is finally making people do something.
Brooke van Velden, Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety, said in August 2025 that the government is looking at ways to change the Amusement Device Regulations. These are the rules that say how rides and other mechanical entertainment devices can be registered, used, and run across the country. Simply put, the main point is that not all amusement devices are equally dangerous, and the government shouldn’t regulate them as if they were.
At the moment, amusement devices need to be registered with WorkSafe and checked out by a Chartered Professional Engineer. Operators also need to get a permit from their local council every time they put up a device. It makes sense to do it that way for big rides that can be moved from one town to another. These are the rides that are put together, used for a week, and then taken apart. There is a real difference in risk between a Ferris wheel that is rebuilt twelve times a year and a merry-go-round that hasn’t moved since it was put in.
Van Velden wants to change the rule so that only high-risk, portable amusement devices need to be approved by the local council. Fixed, low-risk rides and smaller devices used at community events would not have to follow the same rules. It’s possible that the effect will be small for large commercial operators. However, this type of change could really save time and money for community groups, school fundraisers, and state-wide Easter shows.
It looks like local governments have been saying this for a while now. It’s important to note that the push for change isn’t just coming from ride operators who want to avoid paperwork. It has been brought up by councils that the current rules seem out of date and don’t fit well with how amusement devices work now. Like it was written for a different time, when traveling fairs were the main focus, and hasn’t quite caught up with the different kinds of devices that are used now.
Adventure activities are also talked about in the larger consultation. The government wants to narrow the definition of “adventure activities” in the Adventure Activities Regulations. This would mean that lower-risk activities like a guided bike trail would not have to follow the same safety rules as white water rafting or bungee jumping. The reasoning is the same: the regulatory weight should be based on the actual risk, instead of using the same standard for very different activities.
Still, it’s not clear where the new lines will be drawn. That’s what the consultation process is meant to do, and van Velden has said that the final definitions will be shaped by how the sector is involved. That makes sense. Getting these lines just a little off in either direction has real effects, like not regulating real risks well enough or suffocating low-risk community activities with too much paperwork.
As I watch this process play out, the overhaul doesn’t seem like such a big change. Instead, it seems more like a government catching up with reality: rules written under the Machinery Act 1950 might not work well in a country that now has bike trails, water parks, and traditional amusement rides. People will probably find out over the next few years as the rules are put into place whether the final rules are fair over time. For now, the way things are going makes sense, and it’s been a long time coming.
