Posted on May 31, 2009 by by jr

The ABC online is reporting that AIS is trying to argue that its rowing athletes should have a special exemption on the current ban of all lake Burley Griffin activities. This is despite the fact that the National Capital Authority has closed the lake down completely to all water sport activities due to highly dangerous levels of blue-green algae currently present.

The AIS rowing coach argues that his athletes should be exempt from the ban because: “The skill level of the athletes we have here are obviously world class athletes who don’t fall in the water, they don’t have any issues with water on them”

Whilst the AIS rowing team may be training for World Championships, they may rarely fall into the water, and it may be costing the AIS an additional $5,000 a day to move their training regime to Sydney, however it appears that this particular coach has scant regard for OH&S and the potential implications (both legal and that on the rowing team as a whole) should an athlete become ill due to contact with the current algal blooms.

Earlier this year there was a private school rowing regatta that came under a similar media scrutiny after a junior NCA officer allegedly gave permission for the regatta to proceed despite then also dangerous levels of the algae present. Fortunately nothing bad came from that incident.

The whole situation is best summed up in an editorial piece from the then A/g Chairman of the NCA, Professor Don Aitkin that appeared in the 26 February 2009 edition of the Canberra Times: If lake is closed, it’s for your sake.

I challenge the AIS rowing coach to explain why AIS athletes should be treated any differently to any other lake user – simply being an elite athlete is not a valid excuse.

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