The children's indoor playground that was closed by authorities due to having no development consent has informed the public of its temporary closure was for “safety reasons”. 

Rainbow Park Samoa located on the busy road in Lalovaea has a retail shop and a playground, was open to the public for a few days in April. 

Days after its opening the company said it was closed claiming it was undergoing cleaning and maintenance work. 

Just after the Samoa Observer published an article confirming the Ministry of Works Transport and Infrastructure (M.W.T.I.) issuing a stop order to the business, Rainbow Park Samoa has finally told the public its temporary closure was for “safety reasons”. 

According to the company’s Facebook page, they will inform the public when it will open again. 

In recent correspondence with the M.W.T.I. Chief Executive Officer, Fui Mau Simanu, he said there was no development consent for the playground. 

“There is no Development Consent approval for the Rainbow Playground to operate a retail store and indoor children’s playground at Lalovaea by the Planning and Urban Management Agency,” he said. 

“There is however a Development Consent granted to Huang Zhi Jie of J&F Enterprises Co Ltd for the construction of a “storage warehouse” at Lalovaea on 16 September 2021.”

According to M.W.T.I., the Development Consent for Mr. Jie’s is subject to several conditions for adherence which include; the proposed activity shall be carried out in accordance with the plans and information submitted as part of the application DCA 463/21, including report title –“J&F Enterprises Co Ltd, Preliminary Environmental Assessment Report, Storage Warehouse for Building Construction Materials, Taufusi, Vaimauga West, Upolu” prepared by the Pacific Applied Sciences Consult, dated July 2021, submitted 23 July 2021.

Fui said any other development works not included in this development consent application (including the construction of building(s) or other structures on site) require a separate development consent application.

On 25 March this year, the M.W.T.I. through P.U.M.A. issued a stop order to Rainbow Park to cease all operations on site for the Rainbow Playground as well as the use of the public footbath (road reserve) as parking space for the new development.