Welcome from NZ Mountain Safety Council

rememberA year to

Welcome to our report

Alongside the amazing work captured within these pages, this year we engaged our council member organisations and partner organisations within a comprehensive review of our strategic plan. While the new plan itself is interesting, it is not the highlight for this report. The highlight is the unanimous and very vocal endorsement from our council and partners of the impact of the strategic focus so far. The new strategic plan will ensure ongoing evolution and development of the phenomenally successful work captured in this report.

Plan My Walk deservedly dominates many pages of this report. Feedback from across the sector has been exceptionally positive, however we would like to specifically highlight the equally positive findings of user impact research (page 24). In addition, the fantastic work undertaken by the team to connect Kiwis and international visitors to all the MSC tools and resources was recognised at the 2022 TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards. This is a strong endorsement of MSC’s messaging approach from the wider marketing industry.

Insights remain central to all of our work, and this platform continues to evolve to ensure ongoing relevance to the sector. Exploring participation changes, understanding how Kiwis plan their adventures, and gaining a deep understanding of the mountaineering community have been a focus this last year. These insights will continue to inform our work and that of many sector partners.

MSC has responded to previous insights indicating participation changes, particularly the growth in backcountry mountain biking. The soon to be released ‘Old Ghost Road’ video represents the first in a new series targeted at improving the safety-related knowledge of Kiwis exploring Aotearoa’s most challenging biking trails.

MSC has continued to drive a strong positive media presence ensuring increased visibility of our many tools and resources across these national mainstream channels. This deliberate focus on insights driven, proactive media articles also allow positive story telling ahead of traditional peaks in incidents, ensuring Kiwis are better informed for their upcoming adventures. These pages reflect the passion and talent of our staff, our board, and the support of our partners and funders who have embraced our shared mission. Together, we will continue to achieve so much more. But now, we are pleased to present to you a reflection on 2021-22 and all that we accomplished together.

RICHARD DAVIES NZ MOUNTAIN SAFETY COUNCIL BOARD CHAIR MIKE DAISLEY NZ MOUNTAIN SAFETY COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE