While a Little Mowbray resident says he is pleased with outdoor gym equipment placed in the area, he is concerned about the upkeep as some of the equipment had already broken.
Matthew Cannon, who has lived in the area for most of his life, says he was delighted but surprised when he saw the outdoor gym pop up a few months ago.
He said they had no idea of plans for the gym and had not been consulted, but it had been a hit with residents.
He is however, concerned with the quality of the equipment, the planned upkeep and said some of the equipment indicated on the circuit board had never been installed – which didn’t allow residents to get the “full” circuit workout.
Mr Canon said he first noticed the outdoor gym at the start of the year, while out jogging. But, he said, by April, some of the equipment had already broken, while others had parts had gone missing.
“I have jogged to them practically every day since the start and tested them out, and some have been dodgy since day one. The puddle/hole piece has always been missing. Since April the gym has deteriorated further – the other round ‘twister’ has now broken off, rendering this piece useless. And the gaping hole in the foreground is still there. Note that many community members enjoy using the gym, but it is not through mistreatment that the machines have broken,” he said.
Ward 57 councillor Paddy Chapple said the request was a longstanding one, which came from the ward committee and included an outdoor gym in Salt River.
Zahid Badroodien, mayoral committee member for community services and health, said the outdoor gym equipment was installed mid-February.
He said the project cost R443652.26 in total, with R95732.73 spent on concrete work and site leveling; R192974.28 on rubber matting and R154945.25 on the supply and installation of gym equipment.
Dr Badroodien said the City’s recreation and parks department was responsible for the maintenance of this outdoor gym equipment.
“All of the equipment that was reported as broken has been assessed. The damage is due to normal wear and tear and a request had been made for the contractor to repair or replace the equipment. Generally, the manufacturer will repair/replace broken equipment, if it falls within the one year warranty period.
Mr Chapple said two footpads had been stolen but were recovered by Law Enforcement and would be repaired.
“A new design had been requested to prevent it occurring again,” he said.
Speaking on the signage, Dr Badroodien said: “The corresponding sign is a generic board that the contractor installs at all outdoor gym areas, which use any (or all) of their equipment. Depending on available funds, project managers may select some or all of the equipment displayed for installation. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, only a few items from the full circuit were selected and purchased for this project.”
Mr Cannon said by Monday June 24, there had been white and red tape, with a “keep off” sign around the broken equipment and the missing circuit equipment.