By KATH GANNAWAY
QUEENS Park kinder kids will be off their bikes and trikes for a little while after a broken water main washed away paths and other play areas on Easter Monday.
Yarra Valley Water was notified of the burst main by a local resident at 1.37am and had a crew on-site half an hour later.
YVW General Manager, Glenn Wilson, said the crews were able to locate the main inside the Queen’s Park Kindergarten and shut off the water, with repairs completed later that morning.
Yarra Ranges Council has estimated the cost of reinstating the landscaping and retaining wall at less than $10,000 and said it would be covered by insurance.
Kinderlink co-ordinator Jacinta Graham was astounded by the extent of the damage which washed away soil underpinning the network of pathways and shifted loads of soft-fill.
“It is quite unbelievable the extent of the damage to the playground area, but, fortunately there is no damage to the building itself,” Ms Graham said.
She said she was impressed with the response from Yarra Ranges Council who advised her on Tuesday morning and had moved quickly to put arrangements in place restore the grounds.
“It is upsetting to see the beautiful pathways, but the council has been really on top of it and said they expect to install paths by Monday when the children will be back,” she said.
Mr Wilson said Yarra Valley Water would continue to work with the council to return the grounds to the original condition.
