<\/p>\n
\u201cDelivered, tested and \u2026 approved,\u201d the video declared<\/a> triumphantly.<\/p>\n Mr Scully wrote in the caption, \u201cAppin has a new park for all ages to enjoy! Come out for a Community Day on Sunday July 19 from 11am to celebrate Toggerai Park\u2019s opening, featuring a fun run, lawn games, children\u2019s story time, and refreshments.\u201d<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the Minister spoke too soon.<\/p>\n Within days of the park\u2019s official opening, the top of the slide had been ominously sealed off with a metal cover as the Department launched an urgent safety review.<\/p>\n The town of around 3200 people, located in the Wollondilly Shire, has been abuzz in recent weeks with talk of the slide.<\/p>\n Local community Facebook groups have been flooded with complaints and multiple reports of injuries \u2014 ranging from sore bums to broken bones.<\/p>\n News.com.au could not independently verify all of those claims.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been up there with my adult children and my granddaughter \u2014 my granddaughter flew out, my daughter, she weighs about 50kg, she exited quite fast,\u201d one long-time resident, who manages the community Facebook page Appin Development Plan, told news.com.au.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we were there we observed a variety of children of different ages coming out quite fast, they were bouncing on their backs.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman said while the park only officially opened last week, construction had been completed some time ago and locals had been using it unofficially.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s all these injuries happening at the park within the last two months,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve seen videos of parents flying out with kids. Ambulances going up there, people breaking bones. Over the weekend I noticed a post from a member of the public who said they had broken their leg and asking if anybody else had been injured.\u201d<\/p>\n A NSW Ambulance spokesman confirmed to news.com.au emergency services were \u201ccalled to a park off Appin Road on July 13 at around 1.30pm\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe treated a man in his 30s for a leg injury and he was transported to Campbelltown Hospital in a stable condition,\u201d he said, adding he was unable to confirm if the injury was related to the slide. \u201cI don\u2019t have that detail.\u201d<\/p>\n In a Facebook post on the same day, the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DHPI) had invited people to \u201ccome and explore the new Toggerai Park in Appin!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSpanning 17 hectares, this family-friendly park has slides, a flying fox, walking trails, and picnic spots,\u201d the Department wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cLocated just 1km north of Appin\u2019s town centre, Toggerai Park is shaped by community input and designed as a place for locals and visitors to connect, play and unwind outdoors. Proudly delivered by the NSW Government in partnership with Wollondilly Shire Council through the Parks for People program.\u201d<\/p>\n Another woman shared a photo of her leg in a cast in a hospital bed, writing, \u201cI ended up in the hospital with a broken foot that I snapped in two spots going down the slide.\u201d<\/p>\n She added she was considering pursuing legal action. <\/p>\n News.com.au has sought comment from the woman.<\/p>\n Another mum wrote on Facebook, \u201cMy daughter has been on hundreds of slides and never once flew out of one at the speed and force of the one in Appin. She shot out like a cannon and was thrown metres from the exit, landing hard on her butt. She wasn\u2019t injured badly, just a little sore, but I still think the slide needs to be fixed.\u201d<\/p>\n She added, \u201cAfter so many injuries in a short time in such a small town, there should at least be a warning.\u201d<\/p>\n Another concerned resident said locals were \u201cexcited about having more of an adventure playground\u201d and had been \u201cgoing in and having a look for quite some time\u201d before the official opening.<\/p>\n \u201cConcerns were noted pretty much straight away, especially with respect to the slide,\u201d she told news.com.au.<\/p>\n The woman questioned whether the slide conformed to the relevant Australian Standards<\/a>.<\/p>\n She said she was also \u201creally concerned\u201d about the extremely narrow shared footpath.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s already got quite a bit of a drop-off [on the sides],\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s designed so people on bikes, people with prams, people on wheelchairs [can use it], but you can just see [accidents] happening as people pass each other. It\u2019s just frustrating because if it\u2019s done well [the park is] such an asset to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n A spokeswoman for Minister Scully\u2019s office said in a statement to news.com.au, \u201cThe slide is certified for use and complies with the relevant Australian Standards for Playgrounds. As a precaution, the slide has been cordoned off while the contractor undertakes further assessment.\u201d<\/p>\n Not everyone agreed with the fuss, however.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we wrap children up in cotton wool they grow up to be precious whingers who are scared of their own shadow,\u201d one mum wrote on Facebook.<\/p>\n \u201cRisk taking is part of growing up. Every piece of play equipment can cause injury … parents [could] make the decision to keep their kids off it but not take it away from the other little thrill seekers who enjoy a fast slide.\u201d<\/p>\n Another man agreed, \u201cThat\u2019s why the children these days sit inside, have a look at the parks kids played [at] in the \u201880s and \u201990s. Not too many parks around these days because everyone wants compensation.\u201d<\/p>\n The state-owned site, a sprawling patch of rolling paddocks, already has a controversial history. <\/p>\n