Adelaide’s indoor recreation centres told to remain closed indefinitely

Gyms and indoor sport can restart but popular rec centres and play cafes have been told to stay closed indefinitely.

While gyms and indoor sport has resumed, indoor play centres have been left in the dark as to when they may be able to reopen. Funtopia director Andrew Lee with wife Tracey. Picture: Sarah Reed

Indoor recreation centres and play cafes have been “forgotten” in the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions, leaving small business owners in the dark over when, and if, they will be able to reopen.

The owners of popular venues such as AFL Max, Funtopia and Lollipops play cafes have joined to demand the State Government support them and address what they say are inconsistencies in current COVID-19 guidelines.

Gymnasiums were able to reopen following November’s statewide lockdown, while indoor sport could resume from yesterday. Cinemas and swimming pools are also open.

However, indoor play centres have been advised to remain closed. They are reporting losses of tens of thousands of dollars a week and fear they will not survive another two weeks of no trade, in what is traditionally the busy school holiday period.

“We haven’t been given any indication of when we’ll reopen … we are this forgotten industry,” said Tracey Lee, one of the owners of Prospect play cafe Funtopia.

The business, which opened in February, has had to let go of 35 staff.

Co-director Andrew Lee said the business had not been able to access government grants or JobKeeper 2.0 support, due to being in operation for less than 12 months.

“We’ve had no support, no communication, no justification for the different treatment of our sector during this lockdown, especially when compared to the early restrictions,” Mr Lee said.

“This sector is predominantly family-owned and operated and is struggling having been closed or largely restricted for 90 per cent of this year.”

Representatives from the “family entertainment/play centre” collective said their grief was not about “making money”, but “all the little kids having their birthdays taken away, about all of our employees in the dark about their jobs, about putting dinner on the table and roofs over our heads”.

“There is zero evidence highlighting these industries as dangerous in Australia,” a group statement said.

David Walker of Mount Gambier’s Tree House Advenuture Centre said he had understood indoor play centres could reopen along with other indoor venues on December 1, but was notified at 9pm on November 30 that would not be the case.

“We’re not opening our businesses up, yet we’re opening up to Victoria that was in a major pandemic five weeks ago,” he said.

“We’re cancelling school excursions, end of school breakups, work functions, birthday parties, (and) there has been no financial support. We’ve had to let go of 20 staff this close to Christmas.”

The managing director of Inflatable World in Salisbury, Daniel McKay, said the future of his family-owned venue was in jeopardy.

“We only found out (we had to remain closed) by a tag in the latest SA Police post, after having rung the hotline numerous times over the past week with no response,” he said.

“We have lost over $40,000 in revenue from the lockdown so far, with far more in the coming weeks,” he said.

“We are feeling extremely disenfranchised by the lack of communication and support.”

Current government guidelines define permissible “recreational activities” as classes that occur at gymnasiums, yoga, barre, pilates, spin and dance studios, swimming centres and boot/group fitness camps.

When asked why recreational activities at family centres could not resume, and when reopening may occur, SA Health provided the following statement:

“With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia, some high-risk activities, including indoor play cafes and amusement parks, are subject to tighter restrictions than others and are not permitted based on public health risk assessment.

“COVID-19 restrictions are under constant review and are closely monitored by the Transition Committee to ensure the health and safety of all South Australians.”