31st NORTHERN SHEARS
SHEARING & WOOL HANDLING COMPETITION
18th - 20th July 2025
PARTICIPANT RISK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & WAIVER
(For physical competitions pertaining to Machine Shearing, Blade Shearing and Wool Handling events)
Sports Shear Victoria Inc. and North Central Victorian Sports Shear Association Inc. (together “the Suppliers”) advise that participation (including passive participation) in a physical competition or event at the Northern Shears Shearing & Wool Handling Competition contains elements of risk, both obvious and inherent. Physical competitions, activities and events of all types are dangerous recreational activities.
- By signing this waiver I acknowledged that:
- participation in the Northern Shears Shearing & Wool Handling Competition is a recreational service for the purpose of section 22 of the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012 and also a recreational activity for the purposes of section 32N of the Fair Trading Act 1999;
- participation in the event involves a significant risk of physical harm and may result in injury, loss, damage or death to myself;
- participation in the event requires certain skills and experience. I declare that I have sufficient skills and experience to be able to safely and properly participate in the event;
- if the event is held outdoors, there are risks to myself as a result of the weather conditions, including either extreme hot or cold weather, rain or wind;
- I am responsible for ensuring that I have and will wear equipment suitable for safely and properly participating in the event;
- I am responsible for the condition of any tools and equipment and ensuring that they are appropriate for the event; and
- I use the facilities supplied for the event entirely at my own risk, as I find them and with the prior acceptance of the risk of possible danger to myself.
- If I suffer injury, loss, or damage while participating in the event, I will not hold the Suppliers, their employees, agents or volunteers legally responsible for any loss I suffer. I will not sue the Suppliers, their employees, agents or volunteers for any claims, costs, damages or liability. I agree to release the Suppliers, their employees, agents or volunteers from legal responsibility for the services I have been provided and/or activity I have participated in.
- I acknowledge and agree that my participation in the event and associated activities is a danger and may have inherent risks as a result of which personal injury (and sometimes death) may occur and I accept and assume all such risks of personal injury or death in anyway whatsoever arising from these activities and hereby waive my individual right to sue the Suppliers for all claims I or my representatives may have for such personal injury or death against the Suppliers in regard to their negligence, breach of statutory duty or statutory guarantees arising from or in connection with these activities to the fullest extent permitted by law.
- At the time of participating in the event, I have not been to any degree under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs.
- I will not consume any alcohol or illicit drugs while participating in the event and agree that such use may result in me being excluded from the event or other events with no entitlement to any refund of money paid for entry to the Suppliers.
- I consent to the use of any images taken of me during the conduct of the event for promotional use only. eg: media coverage of photo, filming or social media.
WARNING UNDER THE FAIR TRADING ACT 1999
Under the Australian Consumer Law (Victoria), several statutory guarantees apply to the supply of certain goods and services. These guarantees mean that the supplier named on this form is required to ensure that the recreational services it supplies to you -
- are rendered with due care and skill; and
- are reasonably fit for any purpose which you, either expressly or by implication, make known to the supplier; and
- might reasonably be expected to achieve any result you have made known to the supplier.
Under section 32N of the Fair Trading Act 1999, the supplier is entitled to ask you to agree that these statutory guarantees do not apply to you. If you sign this form, you will be agreeing that your rights to sue the supplier under the Fair Trading Act 1999 if you are killed or injured because the services provided were not in accordance with these guarantees, are excluded, restricted or modified in the way set out in this form.
NOTE: The change to your rights, as set out in this form, does not apply if your death or injury is due to gross negligence on the supplier's part. Gross Negligence is defined in the Fair Trading (Recreational Services) Regulations 2004.