Happy Island does not make surrounding residents happy
Residents living around the new water park in Muldersdrift have raised a number of issues. They say that the park is disrupting their everyday lives and something has to be done.
While many locals have been excited to try out the new water park named Happy Island in Muldersdrift, the residents who live on the neighbouring smallholdings are anything but happy.
On Tuesday, 29 January, after many complaints by the residents around the park, a meeting was held with the water park’s management, to try and solve the issues that were raised.
More than 40 residents met at the park with Tim Hogins, founder of Green Outdoor Gyms (GOG) and one of the developers of the Happy Island water park.
The park opened in December 2018 for a trial period and will be closing again in February so that more upgrades and problem-solving can be done.
Tim explained to residents that he was there to listen to their complaints and try to work with them to find solutions.
One of the biggest problems was the noise emanating from the park. Apart from the sound system playing continuously, there was also an issue with the operators using whistles to communicate with each other.
In response to this issue, Tim said they have stopped the music and announcements in the park and have given the operators two-way radios to work with.
He explained there will still be music, but it will be on smaller speakers placed throughout the park. They will also have prearranged times for music that will be discussed with the residents, and if live entertainment is planned, an event calendar will be distributed by the park’s management.
Another issue was the roads leading in and out of the park. The traffic coming off Beyers Naudé Drive and turning towards the park is extremely heavy, especially during weekends when the park gets the most customers. People queue for kilometres. This means that residents living right next to the park cannot get into or out of their properties. The road has also been tarred to accommodate the traffic but has already developed potholes and is not wide enough for two-way traffic to flow easily.
Tim said they cannot widen all the roads as that is the responsibility of Mogale City; however, where they can widen roads they will do so. They will also add road signs, speed limit signs and pointsmen to regulate the traffic.
One of the biggest issues was the water supply to the park. Residents cited the ongoing drought, saying that Muldersdrift residents make use of borehole water. They wanted to know if the park also uses this water, as this would have a significant impact on the water table in Muldersdrift, and could lead to a water scarcity for all residents in the area.
When the park was still in its planning phase, the residents were allegedly told that water pipes would be installed to relay water from Johannesburg to the park, in order for the park to not use the borehole water.
Tim told residents they have a water treatment plant on site, and the water used in the park is recycled, thus very little new water is used.
When they filled their lazy river they had water tankers brought in to fill it. It turns out, however, that only three tankers were brought in and this was not enough to fill the river. The rest had to be filled with borehole water.
He also said they do have a water usage licence that allows them a certain amount of borehole water a month.
He added they also recycle the water for their septic systems and there are pipes connected to Mogale’s water supply to assist when needed.
Minor issues like parking came up, as the park fills up over weekends and then patrons stop outside on the side of the road in front of the residents’ properties. This causes littering and damage to property.
There are plans to build more parking areas within the park, and eventually only online tickets will be sold. This means that when the park is fully booked, no more tickets will be available for that day.
Tim explained that he was not trying to sell a dream but that he hoped the park and the residents could co-exist.
The park’s Facebook page also carries many complaints about there not being enough tubes, some rides not working at times, awful smells emanating from all over the park and unfriendly staff. Tim responded to these complaints by saying that the park was still in its trial phase, and that they hope to sort out all these issues as time goes by.
The News will continue to follow up on this developing story.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at krugersdorpnews@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
