In short
Venue North is an independent advisory practice run by Paul Brownrigg, working with indoor and outdoor action venues across Sydney and New South Wales. Paul helps operators of trampoline parks, climbing and bouldering centres, ninja courses, indoor play centres and adventure venues get safety, compliance and operations right without selling equipment or taking supplier commissions. Engagements range from a readiness audit and pre-opening review through to ongoing compliance systems, operational design review and facility management advice.
What actually goes wrong for NSW leisure venues
The problems I get called about in NSW are almost always operational, not theoretical. A venue opens and the operator realises the amusement devices were not registered with SafeWork NSW, or the annual inspection records are missing, or the person who signed them off was not a competent person. Staff have been hired for weekend parties but nobody checked whether their Working with Children Check was current and verified. The council approved a change of use, but the building classification under the National Construction Code is still being argued six months later.
- Design and item registration gaps on trampolines, climbing walls, high ropes and inflatables.
- Annual inspection records that do not meet SafeWork NSW requirements for amusement devices and plant.
- Working with Children Check verification missing for party hosts, coaches or holiday program staff.
- Development approval, building classification and occupation certificate issues outlasting the opening date.
- Food business notification overlooked because the cafe looked like a small sideline.
What NSW law actually applies to your venue
The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) places the primary duty of care on you as the person conducting a business or undertaking. That means safe plant, safe systems of work and safe premises. The Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 (NSW) sets out the operational detail for plant and amusement devices, including registration, inspection, maintenance, competent persons and record keeping.
SafeWork NSW says amusement devices must be maintained, inspected and tested by a competent person, with annual inspections and log books kept. From 1 July 2026, codes of practice become minimum performance standards under section 26A of the WHS Act, so compliance with the relevant code, or an equivalent or higher standard, needs to be documented.
If your venue has a cafe or party food, the Food Act 2003 (NSW) and Food Regulation 2025 (NSW) require you to notify the local council as a retail food business before trading, even if no Food Authority licence is needed.
Plant and amusement device registration
Some plant designs and individual items must be registered with SafeWork NSW before they are supplied or operated. This is a common trap for imported equipment or second-hand attractions. I check what needs design registration, what needs item registration and what evidence you should hold before the public walks in.
Working with Children Checks
Under the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 (NSW), anyone in child-related work who has more than incidental face-to-face contact with children under 18 needs a current Working with Children Check. Employers must register, identify the roles that need a Check, verify clearances and keep records. For most indoor play centres, trampoline parks and climbing programs, that is a large share of the front-of-house team.
Planning and building approvals
Opening or converting a venue in NSW almost always needs development consent under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW), usually through the local council. A change of use from retail or warehouse to indoor recreation facility may also need a construction certificate and occupation certificate, with fire safety, egress and disability access sorted under the National Construction Code.
Where Sydney venues actually open and what that means
The practical locations for these venues in Sydney are predictable once you know what to look for. Operators lease warehouse space or former retail sites in industrial estates and business parks where the rent per square metre and the ceiling height suit climbing walls, ninja courses and trampoline courts.
The Smithfield and Wetherill Park industrial estate in Fairfield is home to nearly 3,000 businesses and around 20,000 jobs, connected to the M4 and M7 motorways and the new Western Sydney Airport. Nearby, the Horsley Drive Business Park is described as Australia's first 6 Star Green Star industrial estate and sits in the established Wetherill Park precinct. Further south and west, industrial listings point to Prestons and Moorebank as corridors with modern warehouse stock and motorway access to the M5 and M7.
Eastern Creek and Greater Sydney Parklands also host business hubs, and Sydney Olympic Park has seen warehouse-to-recreation conversions, including an approved indoor recreation facility fitout at 6 Herb Elliott Avenue. Each of these locations brings its own council, zoning, parking and fire safety conditions, so a site that looks cheap can become expensive if the approval path is wrong.
Climate and seasonality in NSW
Sydney's humid subtropical climate means hot summers, mild winters and western suburbs that run significantly hotter than the coast. That matters when your venue relies on air conditioning to keep patrons and staff safe during peak periods. The Bureau of Meteorology issues severe weather warnings for storms, heatwaves and fire weather across NSW, and bushfire smoke can keep families indoors for days at a time, pushing demand well above normal.
School holidays are the other major driver. In 2026, NSW winter school holidays run 6 to 17 July and spring school holidays run 28 September to 9 October for the Eastern division, with the Western division starting Term 1 a week later because of heat. If attraction capacity, staff rosters and maintenance are not timed around those peaks, you lose revenue and wear out your team at the same time.
How I work with Sydney operators
I work with operators in two ways. The first is a focused project, usually an /operational-readiness-audit or /services/operational-design-review before signing a lease, before opening or before a sale. The second is an ongoing advisory relationship where I act as an independent second set of eyes on compliance systems, facility management decisions and third-party partnerships.
Every engagement starts with a conversation about where the business actually is and what the real risk is. From there I scope the work, state what I will check, and report in plain language with a priority order. I work remotely by default on documents, systems and meetings, and travel to site when physical inspection of plant, layout or operations is required. I do not audit and disappear. The point is to leave the operator with a practical plan and, where useful, templates that match the way the venue runs.
- Operational readiness audits before lease, launch or sale.
- Compliance systems that fit SafeWork NSW and council expectations.
- Operational design review for layout, throughput and risk controls.
- Advisory support for facility management and third-party partnerships.
- Independent opinions with no equipment or supplier commission attached.
Why an operator beats a generalist WHS consultant
The Sydney search results for safety consultant Sydney and WHS consultant Sydney are full of generalist consultancies selling ISO systems, training packages and construction-site audits. None of them talk about trampoline dismount pits, climbing wall inspections, patron throughput, amusement device registration or the difference between a Class 6 and Class 9b building classification for an indoor recreation venue.
I have run these venues, sat on the Standards committees that write the rules for them, and spent years dealing with the exact regulators and councils you will face in NSW. When I review your operation, I am not checking a checklist written for a manufacturing plant. I am checking against what actually happens when a hundred kids turn up on a wet Saturday in January.
Your honest next step
If you are opening, buying or operating a trampoline park, climbing centre, ninja course, indoor play centre or adventure venue anywhere in Sydney or NSW, the best first move is a phone call or a message. Tell me what stage you are at, what is keeping you awake, and what you need to prove to your landlord, council, insurer or regulator. I will tell you plainly whether I can help and what it would involve.
You can reach me on 0428 170 998, via WhatsApp at https://wa.me/61428170998, or by email at paul@venuenorth.com.au. Venue North is VENUE NORTH PTY LTD, ABN 54 702 498 066. You can also read more about how the process works on /services/venue-audits or /guides/opening-a-venue.
Questions operators ask
What approvals do I need to open an indoor play centre or trampoline park in Sydney?
You will usually need development consent from the local council under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW), plus a construction certificate and occupation certificate. You must also notify council as a retail food business if you serve food, and register any applicable plant or amusement devices with SafeWork NSW.
Who inspects amusement devices and climbing structures in NSW?
SafeWork NSW regulates plant and amusement devices. Annual amusement device inspections must be carried out by a competent person, which SafeWork NSW defines as a registered professional engineer except for smaller inflatables, and records must be kept. I do not perform these inspections. I help operators verify the right inspectors are engaged and the documentation is complete.
Is a generalist WHS consultant enough for my venue?
A generalist WHS consultant can write a safety management system, but most have never operated a trampoline park or climbing gym. The risk controls, patron flow, amusement device registration, working with children requirements and building classification are venue specific. I bring ten years of hands-on experience in exactly these venues.
What does it cost if my venue gets compliance wrong in NSW?
The real costs are usually operational: a stop-work notice, cancelled insurance cover, failed sale due diligence, unplanned rectification work, or reputational damage after an incident. I do not quote penalties, since SafeWork NSW and the courts determine those. My job is to reduce the chance of getting to that point.
How long does an operational readiness audit take?
A focused audit can usually be scoped and delivered within a few weeks, depending on site access and how much documentation already exists. I state the deliverables and timeline before starting.
Do you work remotely or do you travel to Sydney?
I work remotely on documents, systems and meetings as standard, and I travel to site when physical inspection of plant, layout or operations is needed. For NSW work this typically means scheduled site visits combined with remote reporting and follow-up.
Do my staff and volunteers need a Working with Children Check?
If they have more than incidental face-to-face contact with children under 18 in child-related work, the Office of the Children's Guardian requires a current verified Check. That covers most party hosts, coaches and holiday program staff in these venues.
Do you sell or recommend equipment?
No. Venue North is independent. I do not sell, recommend or take commissions from equipment brands, suppliers or manufacturers. That means the advice you get is based on what your venue needs, not on what someone is trying to sell you.
Sources
- SafeWork NSW, Amusement devices. https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/amusement-devices
- SafeWork NSW, Amusement devices resource library. https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/resource-library/amusement-devices
- SafeWork NSW, Codes of practice. https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/resource-library/codes-of-practice
- SafeWork NSW, Plant registrations. https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/licences-and-registrations/plant-registrations
- NSW legislation, Work Health and Safety Act 2011. https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2011-10
- NSW legislation, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017. https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2011-0674
- NSW legislation, Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1979-203
- NSW Planning Portal, change of use of a building. https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/development-and-assessment/planning-approval-pathways/complying-development/change-use-building
- NSW Planning Portal, Sydney Olympic Park indoor recreation DA, 6 Herb Elliott Avenue. https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/daex/determined/da-02-02-2019-change-use-and-fit-out-recreation-facility-indoor-6-herb-elliott-avenue
- Office of the Children's Guardian, who needs a Working with Children Check. https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check/who-needs-check
- NSW Food Authority, starting a food business. https://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/industry/starting-a-food-business
- Bureau of Meteorology, NSW weather and warnings. https://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/index.shtml
- NSW Government, school holidays. https://www.nsw.gov.au/about-nsw/school-holidays
- Fairfield City Council, Smithfield and Wetherill Park industrial estate. https://www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/Business/Place-Management/Parks-Place/Smithfield-Wetherill-Park-Industrial-Estate
- Greater Sydney Parklands, Western Sydney Parklands business hubs. https://www.greatersydneyparklands.nsw.gov.au/about-us/property-services/western-sydney-parklands-business-hubs
- ABS, Regional population 2024-25. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/latest-release