Flying foxes to be banned in ACT playgrounds?

maybe the govt should consider that they can be sued if you trip on a crack in the pavement, or have a stack on a pushie after hitting a pothole.

fix the roads and paths. Leave the parenting to, oh i don’t know, parents.

if my kids fall from a tree, will the govt cut it down? – might be a way to get rid of a couple of dangerous trees…

though I would have to throw the kids into the trees, they are too small to climb…

Kids are much safer staying indoors in front of the telly or playstation. After all, suffering a heart attack from obesity is a much better outcome for them rather the 1-in-a-million chance that they might graze a knee or break an arm while using a flying fox.

Not if they have a Wii Fit!

Does anyone else find this product both incredibly funny and despair inducing at the same time?

Maybe flying foxes cause global warming?

Kids are much safer staying indoors in front of the telly or playstation. After all, suffering a heart attack from obesity is a much better outcome for them rather the 1-in-a-million chance that they might graze a knee or break an arm while using a flying fox.

My kids had a great time on the flying fox out at the new park at Tidbinbilla during the school hols….

Is this the only one still in operation?

Swaggie said :

Blame the parasitic “no win no fee” legal types and the moronic parents whose eyes light up at the chance of a couple hundred thousand dollars because their kid hurt himself falling over.

Spot on. The greedy “free money for meee” types have done for us all. Until the courts starting throwing these opportunistic cases out (and make the greed-heads pay costs), we’ll see a lot more of this sanitising of public structures. You wouldn’t be a kid nowadays for quids.

Is there a possibility that these parks could be fitted with a sign that details the risks and informs visitors that they use the equipment at their own risk?

I remember years ago a mountain bike magazine I used to read ran adds with the slogan “It’s easier to wear slippers than it is to carpet the world.”

We don’t need tort reform. We need grown ups to take responsibility for themselves and the people under their care. We need people to choose not to be basket-case-arse-wipes. People who are happy to own up to having a spine.

This is disgraceful.

Is there a possibility that these parks could be fitted with a sign that details the risks and informs visitors that they use the equipment at their own risk?

Oh they’re so dangerous… heaven forbid my kids play on the same sort of equipment I did.

It’s a joke, and the poxy plastic crap they call playgrounds these days is hopeless.

The flying fox at Umbagong Park in West Belconnen is no longer functional. We thought vandals, but maybe it is going out of commission for “safety” reasons too. A pity. My son loves it.

Julian O’Dea
Aranda

“Funny you mention that. the gov’t is still quietly working away on the great firewall of Australia, to protect us all from what’s on the internet. And despite what some people think, there will be NO opt out.”

Well aware of this and equally angered by it. Amazing how little most other people care about it though.

Is there still one at Gordon Adventure playground (sim to the old Fadden Pines one) – My kids LOVED it . . . and I got exercise lifting them up so they could reach the handles!

I also remember the Fadden Pines one – it was a long, awesome fly! Hell, there were tyres below to break your fall! That was good enough!

They seem to have removed a lot of the cool playground equipment from Fadden Pines. I suppose they felt obliged to take away the original treated pine castle because of arsenic, but they replaced them with a lamer one, which seems to now be even lamer (for preschoolers).

I hope they don’t remove the bins!

Canberra used to be so cool for kids, you could go up the pine forest (now Isaacs) and collect pine cones, make a cubby, eat your vegemite sandwich and drink your cordial out of your plastic flask and still be back for tea. [You could spot the odd silver fox crossing the road at night in those days.] Now, the fun police level hand-built bike jumps, dismantle cubbies and remove flying foxes. Do we really want to be such a boring place?

Pity AMP didn’t get in, they would have replaced these graivty driven devices with big V8 powered ones.

CAP would have only let kids whose houses burnt down play on them.

Greens will make them solar powered.

Labor will declare them as public art and consequently Liberals will then deface them.

I remember the old fort at Fadden Pines and the Adventure playground at Kambah, some of the best days of my childhood where spent there… 🙂

The great thing was when we hurt ourselves we learned a lesson, don’t do what you just did again. I truely feel sorry for the kids that have to grow up in this time. They are going to be wrapped up in so much cotton wool that we’ll fear for them to step outside. We’ll also then question why are “australia’s kids getting fatter” and yet we’ll never draw the conclusion that we never let them leave the house as the answer.

It’s actually the insurance companies fault more than “moronic parents” (I’m not saying that moronic parents don’t exist, but decent parents are often forced). My sister broke her arm at school. Something which would normally be covered by their insurance. However the insurance company would not pay a cent until every last avenue had been exhausted. This included suing the school. My parents refused to do so (and thus ended up with the hospital bill), their thoughts where that they had just spent so much time raising money for the school (though the P&C) for the benefit of the kids, suing the school would undo all that effort.

Thanks for the comments. I see two issues here if indeed the flying foxes are to be closed. First of course whether they should indeed be closed and second how is it the Govt can spend (at a rough guess) tens of thousands building a new one at Lake Ginninderra only to close it within weeks of opening? Surely they must have had some idea if flying foxes were a liability issue before approving the building of a new one?

Blame the parasitic “no win no fee” legal types and the moronic parents whose eyes light up at the chance of a couple hundred thousand dollars because their kid hurt himself falling over. If the Gvmt find the insurance is too much I cant say I disagree with closing the areas, sad as it may be.

My kids loved the Fadden pines climbing thingy because it was a little bit scary, challenging to climb for slightly older kids (6 and up) and a whole lot of fun. Adults could climb it too. The new, presumably safer structure is nowhere near as much fun. Is it the ‘overprotective parents …. ruining it for everyone’ or our increasingly litigious society and extremely high public liability insurance costs?

GottaLoveCanberra said :

They’ll start with the children. Will the adults be next?

Funny you mention that. the gov’t is still quietly working away on the great firewall of Australia, to protect us all from what’s on the internet. And despite what some people think, there will be NO opt out.

They’ll start with the children. Will the adults be next?

climb three metres into the air on this rope pyramid instead – try falling 3 metres from it, you will be surprised at how short a distance you will tumble.

Agreed on the cotton-wool concept thouth…

and I might mention (again – different post) the $30,000 set of swings recently installed in a playground at Kaleen… maybe more to do with cost than liability (especially Fadden Pines Playground)? or a bit of both? Flying Foxes are the most awesome fun 😀 Hope they don’t remove them all!

All part of the dumbing down and cotton-woolling of our kids. No forts at the lake – they’re ‘dangerous’. No more fort at Fadden Pines – just some plastic craptastic effort in primary colours with zero potential for fun.

Given that many of the facilities they’ve installed are actually more dangerous than those they’ve replaces (don’t climb on that sturdy wooden structure with rails – climb three metres into the air on this rope pyramid instead), I’ve wondered whether it’s actually a ploy to ensure parks are free of any structure that could be used as a shelter by homeless people. The new thing at Fadden looks solid, but it’s just clever angles – it’s nothing more than a house of cards.

I believe the fox at Yerrabi Pond in Gungahlin is still in operation. Will be interesting to see if anything happens to it.

canberra towie said :

I have been told that the 2 at adventure playground at Kambah have also been removed !!

WTF?!?! If this is true, I might finally put my military training to some use and go on the warpath! The Flying Foxes at Kambah Playground are/were great and I will be making official representation to whoever wins this election if they have been removed. This sux beyond belief! I’m just waiting for some politician to ban ‘fire’ because a 5 year old was playing with matches.

JB: Next time candidates do a Sim City evening in the lead up to an election can you build in a scenario where a kid get hurt on play equipment to see how anal the potential polies could become?

aronde you must hate children. Don’t you realise the Government is here to save us?

Tort reform is overdue.

I have been told that the 2 at adventure playground at Kambah have also been removed !!

I remember years ago there used to be an awesome Flying Fox on top of the 3 storey adventure playground at Fadden Pines, last time I walked past there though, the flying fox was gone, and the 3 storey playground was a poxy single level thing.

I can understand the dangers around using fancy 3 storey play equipment, flying foxes, and the like – but I also remember how well I bounced as a child, and of all the times I stacked it (which was alot) never did I seriously injure myself.

I guess we can thank over protective parents whose kids are made from glass for ruining it for everyone. Actually no, don’t thank them, let the message to these sissy raising parents be a big FU!