A High Court judge has criticised the lack of regulation of adventure tourism in New Zealand.

Justice Ron Young has today sentenced Palmerston North man Alistair McWhannell for the manslaughter of Catherine Peters in a bridge swing mishap last year. McWhannell was ordered to perform 400 hours community work and pay the Peters family $10,000 in reparations.

Justice Young said in such a high risk business, there is never room for a mistake to be made. He also said it seems remarkable that there is a lack of enforced safety regulations covering adventure tourism.