By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
SAFETY around a playground near the banks of Dandenong Creek is set to come under scrutiny after the drowning of a three-year-old boy last week.
Ishnael Baqaie, of Doveton, had been last seen by family members playing on a concrete ledge next to Rotary Park playground on the south side of Dandenong Park about 2.30pm last Wednesday.
The playground’s creek-side flanks are fenced, however much of the southern bank of the concrete-lined creek is unguarded east of the Lonsdale Street bridge.
Ishnael was reportedly spotted as he was swept away by fast-flowing stormwaters under Lonsdale Street bridge. His body was found the following afternoon after an extensive search several kilometres downstream near Greens Road.
The Afghan-born family are believed to have settled in Sydney a few years ago, and moved to Doveton in the past month.
The Bureau of Meteorology had issued a flood warning for the creek the day before the tragedy.
Afghan Australian Association of Victoria president Khaliq Fazal said new arrivals were unaware of the creek’s fickleness – most of the time a benign stream, but after heavy rains a torrent.
He called for “proper fences” all around the park’s creek section, and multi-lingual signs warning of the dangers.
“Whether you’re a child or an adult, you shouldn’t be able to go in the creek.
“It’s the responsibility of the council and (park authorities) to make sure these areas are secure and incidents are not going to happen again.
“The whole community is mourning with the family. They came here with all the hopes and expectations and their future has gone to this.”
Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti, who said his thoughts were with the bereaved family, said the council needed to review safety around the playground installed at the site in 2011.
“It’s been like that (at the banks) for decades. It’s something that needs to be looked at.”
Councillor Matthew Kirwan said the council would take “strong notice” of a coronial investigation report’s findings on park safety.
“We would have to balance whether as a recreational area and natural site we want to fence it all off.
“What is really clear is Dandenong being such an important hub of new migrant settlement … we should look at how to educate new residents what the area is like.”
Councillor John Kelly, who lives near the park, said the playground met “all the safety standards but that’s not to say there’s not things we can do to improve it”.
“I remember when the plans were made up, we were very mindful of safety because it was next to the creek.
“Now in hindsight maybe we should do things to make it safer.”
Inspector Bruce Kitchen, of Dandenong police, didn’t comment on the park’s safety except to say police would raise it in a report to the state coroner.
He said the family “took their eye off him and he was gone”.
“Things can happen at any time,” he said – especially with toddlers.
“It’s just one of those things.”
Elyas Naimzada, of Omar Farooq Mosque in Doveton, said the mosque community was comforting the distraught family and helping with funeral preparations.
