New hours to make a splash at Riverway

Community members will be able to enjoy Riverway Lagoons for up to 14 hours a day with Council set to introduce new supervised operating hours between 6am and 8pm seven days a week during summer months.

Mayor Nick Dameto said he was pleased Council worked hard to find a solution that would meet the expectations of lagoon users which came after Council was required to comply with an earlier Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) recommendation to lock the gates outside of supervised hours in early February, in the interest of community safety.

“Like many, I wasn’t impressed when Council was given just days to act on a recommendation from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland last month,” Cr Dametto said.

“But after extensive negotiations, I am pleased to say we have been able to lock in new and extended, supervised hours.

"From the 23rd of March, the gates at Riverway will open from 6am to 8pm. These additional hours will come with a cost, however given the importance of Riverway to the community, and the critical need to comply with WHSQ's recommendation, Council deemed the additional expense necessary.”

Divisional Councillor and Deputy Mayor, Suzy Batkovic said the new hours built on the previous operating hours, with Council now opening the public Lagoon to 8pm in the evening for the summer, and 6pm in the cooler months.

“The Lagoons were previously open between dawn and dusk, with the facility monitored by lifeguards during set hours - to increase safety and experience for our community we’ve extended those hours to now operate 14 hours a day from November to the end of April and 12 hours a day from May till the beginning of November,” Cr Batkovic said.

“This is about making the most of this great facility, particularly in those warmer summer evenings.

“When this situation first arose, we wanted to find a better solution. We have acted as quickly as possible to ensure people can return to enjoying this wonderful facility, while still meeting community expectations and safety standards.

“These hours cater for morning swimmers, those wanting to take a dip after school or work in the evening, and not to mention those Saturday park runners looking to cool down after their run.”

Councillor Dametto thanked the community for their patience while Council worked through the changes and looked forward to seeing the lagoon utilised to its full potential.

“Riverway is such a great facility, we want to see people making the most of this terrific spot,” he said.

In February the opening hours at Riverway were reduced to 9am – 6pm. From 23 March the hours will be increased 6am–8pm. The ongoing schedule for opening hours will be: 6am–8pm between 1 November and 30 April, and 6am–6pm between 1 May and 31 October, seven days a week.

For more information visit our Riverway Lagoons web page.