Almost two years after six children died in a bouncy castle accident in Tasmania, the operator of the castle has been charged with breaching health and safety regulations. The children fell about 10 metres after strong winds blew the castle into the air at a school fair in December 2021.
Prosecutors allege that Taz-Zorb exposed the children to a risk of death or serious injury. The six victims—Addison Stewart, Zane Mellor, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt and Chace Harrison—were aged between 11 and 12. The accident occurred on the last day of term at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport, a city of fewer than 30,000 residents.
The Director of Public Prosecutions filed a complaint to the Devonport Magistrates Court, charging Taz-Zorb with a Category 2 offence under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012. The charge carries a penalty of up to 1.5 million Australian dollars (£785,000). WorkSafe Tasmania's Robyn Pearce confirmed the charge, stating the operator failed to comply with a health and safety duty, exposing children to risk.
Families of the victims expressed mixed emotions. In a joint statement, families of Zane, Peter, Addison and Jalailah called it a terrible tragedy. Zane's mother, Georgina Gardam, welcomed the charge but said she still wanted answers about the school's involvement. A wider inquest into the accident had been put on hold pending the WorkSafe investigation.
