Port Adelaide Enfield Council closes Semaphore Waterslide because of safety concerns

Dozens of parties booked at the popular – but ageing – Semaphore attraction have been left up in the air.

The waterslide on The Esplanade at Semaphore that has been closed.

Port Adelaide Enfield Council has closed the popular Semaphore Waterslide because of safety concerns.

The council announced on Thursday it was closing the attraction, which opened on The Esplanade in the early 80s, following a safety assessment prompted by its age.

“The independent engineer’s report stated that the slide no longer meets current standards and structural requirements,” the council wrote on its Facebook page.

“As safety is paramount to our community we have made the decision to close it, until a further decision has been made for its repair or replacement.”

The waterslide is owned by the council but is leased and maintained by Peter Blum, who runs the Semaphore Waterslide Complex.

Mr Blum said he was given no warning of the closure, but that safety must come first.

He said being on the seafront, the salt air had corroded part of the waterslide structure, and some of the steel was getting a thin in places.

“I have spent a lot of my own money resurfacing it and that is not really in the lease,” Mr Blum, who has run the complex since 2012, said.

The Semaphore Waterslide.

He said if the council decided to replace the slide, it would “make the community very happy”.

“The feedback I get is that this park is special,” Mr Blum said.

“It’s very important to the area.”

Mr Blum said the slide was his main income, and between now and the end of April, he had an average of five parties each weekend booked.

Two-hour party packages cost up to $25 per person for a minimum of 10 people.

He is now contacting everyone to let them know the slide is closed, and they will get a full refund of their deposits.

“It’s obviously a seasonal business,” Mr Blum said.

“It’s turned into a bit of a shambles.”

But, he said he was left with no choice but to just “deal with it”.

“What else can you do?” he said.

“Hopefully something positive will come out of it.”

Port Adelaide Enfield Mayor Claire Boan said the waterslide was a “much-loved attraction for tourists and the local community”.

“It is never pleasant having to do something like this, however we had real concerns for the safety of the public, due to the engineer’s report recommending immediate closure to prevent any potential injury to the public using the slide,” she said.

“We will be looking at a range of options for this site in the future, including whether we upgrade the slide or build something new.

“The council will make decisions on in the coming months as part of a wider plan for the Semaphore foreshore area.”

The park, which also features minigolf, sideshow games, virtual reality, a jumping castle and other amusements, remains open.