Auckland, Feb 18 NZPA - A review into risk management and safety provisions in the adventure and outdoor tourism sectors will be completed by the end of May.

The review, ordered last October following a letter sent to Prime Minister John Key by the father of drowned English tourist Emily Jordan, was due to report recommendations to Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson by March 31.

The Department of Labour today released three reports prepared as part of the review -- a stock-take of the New Zealand sector, one of the international sector, and a report on consultation within New Zealand.

It said today a fuller review would be completed and handed to Ms Wilkinson on May 31.

Department head of workplace health and safety policy Craig Armitage said most operators generally understood the need for sound safety practices and had made suggestions for improvement.

"The Department of Labour has also written to people who have lost family members over the last five years and invited them to provide comments. These comments will be collated separately.

Ms Jordan, 21, drowned in Central Otago's Kawarau River in April last year after being trapped underwater for 20 minutes while riverboarding.

Queenstown's Mad Dog River Boarding was fined $66,000 and ordered to pay $80,000 in reparation to the Jordan family after admitting two Health and Safety in Employment Act charges.

Mr Jordan urged Mr Key to look at better regulating the adventure tourism sector.

The stock-take of the New Zealand sector said there had been 19 fatalities in the adventure and outdoor commercial sectors between July 2004 and June 2009.

Seven of these came in one incident -- the Mangatepopo canyoning tragedy which is the subject of a coroner's inquest this week.

Six lives were lost in the wider maritime adventure sector, while four were lost in the aviation sector.

A total of 448 workplace accidents which resulted in serious harm were reported to the Department of Labour, but regional staff said not all workplace accidents were being reported, possibly because some people viewed them recreation rather than workplace accidents.

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