Ministry pours cold water over celebs’ ‘warning’ on Water Park

The resources and rural affairs ministry has rubbished a statement by Labour candidate Chris Fearne who is also the chairperson of the NGO Celebrities for Kids, who questioned the opening times of a new water park for children in Bugibba.

"This is a negative statement that goes against children's enthusiasm to have fun in this new innovative park," the ministry said in a reaction to Fearne's statement that the 10am-7pm opening times encouraged children to play during the harmful hours of the sun.

"Parents are free to take their children at whatever time they wish, as they do on the beach. Nobody expects government to close access to the island's beaches during the hottest parts of the day," the ministry said.

"Government has organised various educational campaigns against the harmful effects of the sun."

The ministry said children are only allowed in the park for 20 minutes and water park rules encourage parents to apply sun cream on their children. The park also has a number of tents for those waiting to enter the water park.

In his statement, Chris Fearne released a statement on behalf of Celebrities for Kids, saying the NGO was concerned that the recently opened Water Park in Bugibba was advertising opening times of between 10am and 7pm.

"These opening times encourage children to play in the sun in the harmful early afternoon hours. Whilst welcoming the concept of safe exercise parks for our children, CfK urges the relevant authorities to reconsider the water park's opening times, to allow children to utilize the park at safer times of the day," Fearne said.

"Time and again prominent health professionals have advised the public on how to protect children from the harmful rays of excess summer sun. The Maltese Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate itself has advised keeping children out of direct sunlight between 11am and 4pm."

Fearne is a consultant paediatric surgeon at Mater Dei and a Labour candidate on the third and fourth districts.