‘This is very hard for business’: Popular attraction banned after tragic accident killed six children
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Public safety regulations are often put in place with the best intentions, but sometimes they spark heated debate—especially when they impact beloved community traditions.
A recent decision by one Australian council has left many frustrated.
Concerns are growing over how the move will affect local businesses and family celebrations.
A Queensland council faced backlash over its decision to ban jumping castles from popular parks, citing safety concerns and changes to workplace health and safety policies.
Townsville City Council introduced the ban following updates to WorkSafe Queensland’s code of practice, which came after a devastating accident in 2021 that claimed the lives of six children.
During an end-of-year celebration at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport, Tasmania, a gust of wind lifted a jumping castle into the air, leading to the tragedy.
In response, several organisations, including the Tasmanian Department of Education, prohibited the use of inflatables on their properties.
A spokesperson for Townsville City Council stated that the updated safety requirements meant inflatables must be anchored as securely as if they were staked into the ground.
‘Part of this requirement is that where a land-borne inflatable cannot be secured with ground stakes, the anchorage system should be able to withstand the same forces as though it were secured with ground stakes,’ the spokesperson said.
The council did not permit ground stakes unless proper procedures were followed to identify underground services due to the risk of damage.
Ben Stollznow, who runs Amusements Plus and provides inflatable attractions for events, said the ban would have a significant impact on his business.
He was informed that people booking council venues for functions were not allowed to have inflatables or jumping castles.
‘We do some soccer clubs that have over 100 kids when they do their break-up and they won’t be able to have jumping castles,’ he said.
Under the new rules, inflatables could only be used in council spaces if operators could prove compliance with all WHS legislation and council procedures.
Stollznow, who already paid more than $50,000 in public liability insurance, said the ban placed further strain on businesses like his.
‘We pay huge amounts of insurance to make sure we get it right, to get everything perfect and as per the council wants and this is very hard for business,’ he said.
‘It’s probably nearly un-Australian to say that a kid can’t have a jumping castle on their birthday, it’s a staple.’
He said he reached out to several Townsville City councillors, who confirmed they had raised the issue with CEO Joe McCabe but had not received a response.
‘I don’t know why they haven’t given us a reason yet,’ he said.
‘It all stems back to the tragic events that happened in Tasmania a few years ago.’
Stollznow emphasised that his inflatables were always supervised by trained operators and that safety remained his top priority.
In a previous story, councils across Australia called for stricter penalties on a common pedestrian violation, arguing it posed serious safety risks.
Now, with new restrictions on jumping castles, safety concerns continue to shape local policies.
Read more about the push for greater fines and how it could impact pedestrians.
With jumping castles now off-limits in Townsville’s parks, how do you think this will impact local events and businesses? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
A recent decision by one Australian council has left many frustrated.
Concerns are growing over how the move will affect local businesses and family celebrations.
A Queensland council faced backlash over its decision to ban jumping castles from popular parks, citing safety concerns and changes to workplace health and safety policies.
Townsville City Council introduced the ban following updates to WorkSafe Queensland’s code of practice, which came after a devastating accident in 2021 that claimed the lives of six children.
During an end-of-year celebration at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport, Tasmania, a gust of wind lifted a jumping castle into the air, leading to the tragedy.
Council bans jumping castles after tragic accident. Image source: Facebook
In response, several organisations, including the Tasmanian Department of Education, prohibited the use of inflatables on their properties.
A spokesperson for Townsville City Council stated that the updated safety requirements meant inflatables must be anchored as securely as if they were staked into the ground.
‘Part of this requirement is that where a land-borne inflatable cannot be secured with ground stakes, the anchorage system should be able to withstand the same forces as though it were secured with ground stakes,’ the spokesperson said.
The council did not permit ground stakes unless proper procedures were followed to identify underground services due to the risk of damage.
Ben Stollznow, who runs Amusements Plus and provides inflatable attractions for events, said the ban would have a significant impact on his business.
He was informed that people booking council venues for functions were not allowed to have inflatables or jumping castles.
‘We do some soccer clubs that have over 100 kids when they do their break-up and they won’t be able to have jumping castles,’ he said.
Under the new rules, inflatables could only be used in council spaces if operators could prove compliance with all WHS legislation and council procedures.
Stollznow, who already paid more than $50,000 in public liability insurance, said the ban placed further strain on businesses like his.
‘We pay huge amounts of insurance to make sure we get it right, to get everything perfect and as per the council wants and this is very hard for business,’ he said.
‘It’s probably nearly un-Australian to say that a kid can’t have a jumping castle on their birthday, it’s a staple.’
He said he reached out to several Townsville City councillors, who confirmed they had raised the issue with CEO Joe McCabe but had not received a response.
‘I don’t know why they haven’t given us a reason yet,’ he said.
‘It all stems back to the tragic events that happened in Tasmania a few years ago.’
Stollznow emphasised that his inflatables were always supervised by trained operators and that safety remained his top priority.
In a previous story, councils across Australia called for stricter penalties on a common pedestrian violation, arguing it posed serious safety risks.
Now, with new restrictions on jumping castles, safety concerns continue to shape local policies.
Read more about the push for greater fines and how it could impact pedestrians.
With jumping castles now off-limits in Townsville’s parks, how do you think this will impact local events and businesses? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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and they need to be kept safe. So jumping castles need to be more secured when set up
