Deep clean for city playgrounds
Playgrounds in Hamilton will be as clean as they’ve ever been as alert level
2 kicks in today.
Yet there’s no guarantee they’ll be
Covid-19 free and parents are being asked to keep their distance and keep grubby hands germ free.
Six Hamilton City Council cleaners have been working eight-hour days since Tuesday to ensure all 82 playgrounds are as safe as they can be.
As well as sanitising and water blasting slides, monkey bars and other contact surfaces, parks and recreation manager Maria Barrie said they are also doing safety checks on equipment.
‘‘The cleaners are using a product called Bio-Zyme, an organic, non-toxic product that is sprayed on and either wiped off or sprayed off with a water blaster.
‘‘Each playground has a slightly different approach. [The cleaners] focus on internal areas, like slides and follow the normal safety checks. They have checklists for all the different equipment which is based on New Zealand and Australia standards.’’
‘‘Council has done all we can to keep the community safe. People need to take personal responsibility and make decisions for themselves. It is a community effort, everyone is doing their bit,’’ Barrie said.
‘‘The playgrounds will be safe and clean and we will have signage around for physical distancing and hygiene.’’
Children will be eager to make the most of the city’s award-winning facilities again.
Hare Puke Park, in Flagstaff, was named New Zealand’s playground of the year in 2019. The million-dollar park boasts a scooter track, social swings and sensory play. It’s one of eight ‘‘destination’’ playgrounds spread across the city’s suburbs.
Initially, council cleaners have been focusing on the most popular playgrounds. The smaller sets of neighbourhood swings will be finished off on Thursday morning.
But the cleaning ends there. It won’t be continued throughout level 2 unless required, Barrie said.
Other public areas, such as toilets, will be cleaned by other council contractors.
Extra cash wasn’t needed as the work falls under council’s budget for park and recreation maintenance.