Editorial: Child's death is hard to bear

Kirkpatrick Park in Hawke's Bay, where a four-year-old boy was killed yesterday.

There wouldn't be a parent, or any human being for that matter, who wasn't upset to hear the news on Tuesday that a 4-year-old had been killed at a park in Hastings.

The child was no doubt happily playing with family when he was struck by a tractor mower at the park.

I wouldn't imagine the tractor driver will ever get over this, neither will the child's family. It's a horrible situation.

The Rotorua District Council is reviewing its policy about safety around mowers and parks in the wake of this tragedy.

It's a difficult one. Mowing has to be carried out during daylight hours but children play in parks at all times. How on earth do you 100 per cent ensure safety? It is an excellent response from the local council, as it's always wise to ensure you are doing your best in terms of safety.

About a year ago, I gave a stern look to a rubbish truck driver at the Holden's Bay Reserve who decided to take a dangerously quick shortcut across the playground in his truck to get to the rubbish bin on the other side.

I quickly made sure I knew where my daughter was (who was the only one in the park) and thankfully she was fine.

I'm sure the driver checked before he drove across the play area. But why take the risk?

As the warmer weather approaches and we head outdoors, please be careful in parks, lakes, rivers, pools and on the roads. We don't want to be reporting on any more tragedies.