Slip sliding away… 

Signs on a fence at Leamington Domain explain the steps Waipā District Council has taken.

Well-used equipment in two Leamington playgrounds have been decommissioned for safety reasons following an independent safety audit across Waipā.

The equipment did not meet New Zealand safety standards which represent fundamental minimum best practice in the event of a serious accident or injury claim.

A timber modular unit, a slide and climbing platform at Leamington Domain and playground elements at Lindsay Park, in Coleridge Street failed the audit.

The elements from Lindsay Park have been removed, fixed up and installed at Leamington Domain to replace the timber modular unit.

The domain playground is one of the most popular ones in the district.

There is only a see-saw left in Lindsay Park, but Community Services manager Sally Sheedy says playgrounds in Thompson Street and Leamington Domain will be able to cater for community demand.

Two community-managed playgrounds at Te Miro and Rangiaowhia halls were also found to be unsafe and should be immediately decommissioned.

It is not just playgrounds under the microscope.

Structures such as boardwalks, viewing platforms and bridges are also being investigated.

The report is nearing completion. Sheedy said none appeared to be of immediate risk or concern, but some were non-compliant with the building code.

More Recent News

Living icon has big plans

Waikato-Maniapoto’s Te Taka Keegan says he was surprised at being named a living icon for his work weaving Te Reo Māori into technology. Keegan, a University of Waikato Department of Software Engineering associate professor who…

More questions on plant plan

The chair of the board of inquiry into plans to build a waste to energy plant in Te Awamutu asked the applicant why they had not addressed social effects. Environment Court Judge Brian Dwyer asked…

Tamahere duo acknowledged

Two Tamahere residents were honoured at Waikato District Council’s mayoral awards recently. John Sheat, who was nominated by the Tamahere Community Committee​, was a foundation trustee of the Tamahere Mangaone Restoration Trust and spent more…

Exposing cyberspace danger

Cyber safety and risk assessment consultant John Parsons, whose services are in demand around New Zealand, was in Cambridge recently to help keep children safe online. Twelve schools joined forces to bring Parsons to town…