Safety issue for slide

TWO Hawthorn youngsters were bitterly disappointed when visiting their grandparents in Emerald they found that the Emerald Lake Swimming Pool’s water slide was closed.
Madeline and Lachlan Paterson both wrote to The Mail expressing their disappointment over finding the water slide closed.
The two children said that the water slide was one of the many highlights of visiting their grandparents during the summer holidays.
“This was extremely disappointing, as it is one of the things I really enjoy doing when I am in Emerald,” wrote Madeline, 11. “I think it should be reopened and if you don’t have the money you could have a fundraiser.”
Lachlan, 9, wrote: “I would like it to be re opened again because it is a highlight of staying with my grandparents.”
However, Shire of Yarra Cardinia manager of sustainable communities, Maria Berry said the slide was not open this year because of a number of safety issues.
Ms Berry said that safety standards were increasing all the time and that the slide was quite old and did not match up to those standards.
She said there were several issues with the slide including environmental impacts associated with the purity of the water in the splash pool at the bottom of the pool.
Ms Berry said the splash pool also wasn’t large enough which would restrict the number of people going down the slide at one time.
“If the water slide did open we would have to double the staff, with one person at the top and one at the bottom of the slide to ensure the safety of the children using it.
“It would also reduce the number of people on the slide at one time and possibly increase the cost from being free to $20 a go,” Ms Berry said.
Ms Berry said in the end the council had to make the decision to close the slide as it was just not safe.
But, she said the pool was still open and free to all those who wanted to use it.
The Emerald Lake Pool will be open until Monday, 13 March.