Public Statement - Goldfields KidsFest

Published on Monday, 17 October 2022 at 4:15:02 PM

Thank you to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community who came out in droves to support this year’s KidsFest event on the weekend.

Over 9,200 patrons came through the gates across the two-day event, and it was fantastic to see so many smiling children’s faces and to hear the giggles everywhere you walked.

We’re proud to remain one of the very few local governments in Australia that provide a community event of this scale for free.

We are a thriving regional City with much to offer families, and the support shown for the KidsFest from sponsors, contractors, local organisations, and attendees, is evidence of how valuable this event is for our region. Thank you all for your continued support.

Following resounding positive feedback from families attending the event, the City was informed that inaccurate information about an incident with a deflated inflatable had been circulated.

The City has strict event procedures and guidelines, including the completion of pre-event compliance inspections. However, despite the best efforts of organisers (and as is the nature of events), unexpected situations can arise. The City Events Team is experienced in enacting risk management protocols if required - as was evident in their response to the deflated inflatable.

To provide clarification, the City investigated the cause, and it was confirmed that the generator overheated. The cause of overheating has not been identified.

The generator was inspected, and sufficient fuel for the remainder of the event was found inside.

We can also confirm that City contractors immediately enacted their risk management procedures, including vacating the inflatable. At no point in time were children (or adults) trapped underneath the inflatable, and no injuries were reported.

We’re proud of the sound planning and preparation of our experienced events team and the collaboration undertaken with all others involved in putting this event together.

This was an amazing weekend for the children of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and we, as a community, should be proud of what was achieved.