NEWS DESK
Water slide closed in wake of more injuries Neil Walker neil@mpnews.com.au
Two-wheel freedom: Benton Junior College pupils made the most of Ride 2 School Day last week. Here, Oliver, Lucy, Liam, Sienna, Tui, Sara, Adele Jones (coordinator) and Tane make the most of the fun. Picture: Gary Sissons
Actively attending school BENTON Junior College pupils were active on National Ride 2 School Day last week. There was plenty of action as 234 pupils rode, 156 skated or scooted, 219 walked, three took public transport and 136 rode in the car, Friday. The aim of the day was to encourage more pupils to be more active more of the time. And that includes parents and teachers as well. It’s is reported that 80 per cent of children aged five-17 don’t complete the recommended number of hours
of exercise each day, and 81 per cent have more than two hours of screen time every day. Ride 2 School coordinator Adele Jones said that, by riding and walking to school, pupils contributed to their minimum physical activity level of 60 minutes per day. Research shows that riders or walkers are more focused and ready to learn, compared with those who are driven. “The college’s Active Travel Ambassadors had a great time planning the day and it was so much fun run-
ning all the activities,” Ms Jones said. “They were at school at 8am to prepare delicious fruit platters for all the pupils, so a big ‘thank you’ to Jason from Market Life for donating a large proportion of the fruit.” The helmet decorating competition was won by Tane in 001, Tui in 108, Oliver in 227, Sienna in 323, Sara in 414, Liam in 520 and Lucy in 632. Pupils are encouraged to be active when coming to school, especially on Walking Wheeling Wednesdays.
A WATER slide at Frankston’s Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre is out of action after two boys were injured while using the slide. PARC CEO Tim Gledhill confirmed the AquaSphere slide will be closed “for the next few weeks” until an investigation into the incident takes place. The two boys were using the AquaSphere water slide last Saturday (27 February), featuring raft rides for two to four people, when the incident occurred. “Both boys received immediate medical attention from our lifeguard staff before being transferred to hospital where one was treated for concussion and the other boy was diagnosed with a fractured elbow,” Mr Gledhill said. “We are working closely with the manufacturer of the slide, Whitewater West, to investigate the cause of the incident and the slide is anticipated to remain closed for the next few weeks during this process.” The centre will remain open and the AquaPlay aquatic playground featuring multi-level landings and slides is still in use. The 79-metre high AquaSphere, billed as “a thrilling family raft ride featuring high-speed twists and drops, fully enclosed spheres and 90 degree corners”, was closed for ten months after two adults suffered
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head injuries on the slide in August 2014. Mr Gledhill said “engineering changes” were made by the slide’s manufacturer after the previous incident. “The current incident is unrelated and will be treated according to the suggestions made by the manufacturer following the investigation,” he said. “The safety of our members and guests is our highest priority and we remain committed to ensuring our visitors have safe and enjoyable experience at all times.” The $49.7 million PARC, funded by the federal government, state government and Frankston Council, opened in late 2014 and the AquaSphere ride was hailed as “a key highlight of the centre”. Frankston Council CEO Dennis Hovenden said PARC advised council immediately of the latest incident on the water slide. “It was noted their first concerns were for the two boys and making sure they were attended to,” Mr Hovenden said. “They advised council of the closure of the ride and that an investigation would follow.” “We are interested in how this is being managed. However, it should be noted that this incident comes after a lengthy period of operation without any incident. “Council is being kept informed and will await further advice.”
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