The climbing and play structure at the Lake Te Koo Utu playground will be closed from
tomorrow morning so sections of the safety surfacing can be replaced.
After an external safety inspection was completed on Waipā District Council playgrounds, it
was found that some of the mats at the Lake Te Koo Utu playground did not meet the
current impact safety requirements.
Community services manager Brad Ward said that appropriate surfacing is vital for
playground safety. “Obviously, the safety surfacing keeps tamariki safe by softening any falls
or impacts from jumping down.
“It is better to be safe than sorry, so we will be keeping the play structure closed as a
precaution until the remedial works have been completed.”
The surface under the climbing tower and climbing net will be replaced with thicker shock
mats. The junior playground, swings, mounds and nature play area will all remain open.
“In future, we will be installing thicker shock mats at our new playgrounds, similar to the
surfacing at Cambridge’s new Kings Garden playground,” Ward said.
Council is working with the supplier to investigate the costs for the replacement mats and if
they will be covered under warranty.
“At this stage it’s not clear how long the play structure will need to be closed, but we are
making it a priority to get it back open as soon as we can.”
