By Alastair Bull of NZPA

Auckland, Jan 7 NZPA - The man who headed the recreation centre where seven people died in the 2008 Mangatepopo canyoning tragedy is resigning for family reasons, the centre's chairman says.

Grant Davidson will leave his job as chief executive of the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre (OPC) during the first four months of this year to become chief executive of the recreation training organisation Skills Active Aotearoa in Wellington.

Dr Davidson was chief executive when six students from Elim College in southeast Auckland and one of their teachers lost their lives in rapidly rising waters while canyoning in the Mangatepopo Gorge, in the central North Island, on April 15, 2008.

No criminal charges were laid but the OPC was last year ordered to pay $480,000 in fines and reparation after admitting two charges laid by the Department of Labour under the Health and Safety in Employment Act.

The Department of Labour said the OPC should have known from the heavy rain that the group should never have entered the gorge, even though the water levels were not high when they entered.

It also said the OPC should have either subscribed to the Met Service's weather warning service, or kept an eye on its website for weather warnings on the day of the tragedy. By doing so they would have picked up three severe weather warnings the day of the tragedy.

Dr Davidson was not available as he was on leave but OPC trust board chairman Bhrent (CRRCT) Guy said Mr Davidson's resignation was for family reasons.

"He's been looking to move for better schooling for his children," Mr Guy told NZPA.

"He signalled that to us four years ago, before the canyoning tragedy."

Mr Guy said Dr Davidson had been with the OPC for 25 years and would be sorely missed.

"His contribution has been huge. He's made the OPC into one of the leading outdoor education centres in the world," Mr Guy said.

"But now we will have a new person coming in with new ideas and we will be looking forward to that."

No replacement for Dr Davidson has been appointed as yet.

Mr Guy said the fines and reparations handed out to the OPC were tough but the centre had pulled through it.

"It certainly has been a financial battle but we have had huge support from schools and the community in general."

Skills Active Aotearoa chairman Richard Beddie praised Dr Davidson's leadership of the OPC in the wake of the tragedy, saying he used "a values-based approach which allowed the organisation to form strong links with the affected families, maintain relationships with all key stakeholders and retain staff and business in a most trying time".

He said Dr Davidson had helped develop and operate the OPC and a marine outdoor educational facility on Great Barrier Island, and was also instrumental in managing the nationwide tribute tour for Sir Edmund Hillary "Summits for Ed" where 10,000 New Zealanders joined summit climbs in their local communities.

Dr Davidson's career had spanned oceanography, secondary school teaching, mountaineering instructor in Wales and associate lecturer in leisure studies at Waikato University prior to his position at the OPC, Mr Beddie said.

"We are extremely fortunate to have a leader with so much depth of knowledge and research in our industry sector and importantly someone with breadth of experience in how qualifications, training and competency can add to quality experiences in recreation."

Skills Active Aotearoa is an industry training organisation for sport, fitness and outdoor recreation activities.