@leisure Planners
@leisure is a team of experienced leisure, aquatic and sports facility managers and planners, with market modelling, sports management, recreation planning, business and GIS qualifications. We have…
read morePatrick Bedford, a prominent tourism operator in Central Australia, has been charged over a fatal tour bus crash earlier this year, which killed a passenger and seriously injured several others.
In a statement issued yesterday, Northern Territory Police said they had arrested and charged a 43-year-old man in Alice Springs on Wednesday with two counts of negligently causing serious harm.
At the time of the incident, Northern Territory Police said the bus, which was carrying 19 people from interstate, had rolled multiple times.
One passenger - a 69-year-old man - died at the scene, and multiple others were seriously injured and taken to Alice Springs Hospital for treatment. The other passengers and the driver received lacerations and bruising.
As reported by the ABC, Bedford, who owns and operates the Emu Run Experience tour company and is also the Chairman of Tourism Central Australia, yesterday faced the Alice Springs Local Court.
The Northern Territory Police prosecutor told the Court the bus still had to be examined by an expert and that numerous statements had to be taken.
He added there was a chance that an industrial manslaughter charge could potentially be laid in the future.
Further details about the alleged offences were not disclosed in Court.
Bedford's defence lawyer, Luke Gardiner, asked the Court to allow his client's bail conditions to be amended so that he could travel overseas to attend tourism conferences and a charity ride over the next six weeks.
Gardiner advised "at no point has his intention to travel overseas been obscured from police, in fact they've been aware of it.
"On his instructions, there was a tacit agreement that upon his return, if there was to be an interview (with Northern Territory Police) it would be held between his trip to US and a subsequent trip to Thailand.
Judge David Bamber agreed to the request on the proviso that Bedford provide a $10,000 surety.
Northern Territory Police has said it expects to lay "additional charges related to the death of a passenger and other injured passengers" at a later stage.
Image: An Emu Run Experience bus in the Northern Territory's Palm Valley. Credit: Emu Run Experience/Facebook.
13th July 2022 - Permit application procedures streamlined for Northern Territory Parks and Reserves
7th July 2022 - Sustainability and Accessibility Grants now available to Northern Territory Tourism operators
1st July 2022 - Tourism Research Australia data shows Northern Territory Tourism experiencing strong growth
28th May 2022 - Accident at Western Australia’s Horizontal Falls sees 14 in hospital
13th May 2022 - Northern Territory Emergency Services undertake vertical rescue in Kakadu
5th May 2022 - Northern Territory Major Events Company receives international attention
24th March 2022 - Northern Territory Destination Management Plans show Tourism Progress
19th February 2022 - Adventure Travel Trade Association moves to facilitate tourism development among forward thinking nations
10th December 2020 - Insurance crisis set to force closures of Australian attractions and adventure tourism businesses
10th November 2018 - Inquest told German tourists may have been dead at Trephina Gorge before alarm was raised
8th November 2017 - New research shows adventure travellers’ relationship with risk
17th November 2016 - Australia and New Zealand ranked among top adventure tourism destinations
7th October 2015 - Inquest into Kings Canyon cliff death hears safety training ‘non-existent’
4th November 2012 - ATTA and UNWTO to advance responsible adventure travel
Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?
As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.
The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.
@leisure is a team of experienced leisure, aquatic and sports facility managers and planners, with market modelling, sports management, recreation planning, business and GIS qualifications. We have…
read moreAt easyemployer we've come up with a software solution that manages one of your most important, and often most costly, business resources - your staff. We are helping 100s of clients to…
read morePricemark supplies a wide range of custom branded membership & RFID access products for the Health & Leisure Industry.
read moreSLE Worldwide Australia is a Managing General Underwriter specialising in insuring risks in the world of Sports, Leisure and Entertainment. Be it relaxing, playing, organising or watching sports,…
read moreCompliant chemical storage and decanting solutions. Includes spill kits, spill containment pallets, chemical decanting decks and safety shower and eyewash equipment. See our full range of solutions
read morePlayrope Aqua-Fun, are the Australian & New Zealand exclusive distributors for Vortex Aquatic Structures International, the world leader in aquatic playgrounds and urban water landscapes.…
read moreSince 2019, Active World's development team has been delivering a comprehensive single solution that caters to the diverse requirements of successfully operated and managed leisure centres. The…
read moreABOUT SPORTENG specialises in the Planning, Design and Construction inspection of Fields of Play for all sports. Blending engineering with the specialist knowledge gained from working closely with…
read moreGet your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!