After the water parks that have sprung up in various areas of Cyprus, even in hotel areas, the Ministry of Interior, through guidelines, promotes the operation of floating leisure items. It is noted that today the installation of floating leisure items is governed by specific articles of the Law on Beach Protection and is done after licensing by the relevant Local Authority, only in parts of the beach designated by the approved Use Plan for the purpose of providing facilities.
However, the relevant legislation presents a gap regarding the licensing process, but also consequently the conditions of operation and installation within the sea of floating leisure items. The issue of licensing such facilities is a matter of concern for the Central Committee of Beaches, which requested the assistance of the Ministry of Interior for the preparation of standard guidelines to fill this legislative gap.
The Ministry of Interior, after studying and elaborating respectively Greek and European standards / instructions, came up with a draft of guidelines for the licensing, installation and operation of floating leisure goods.
Interesting is the official position of the CTO on the issue that raises serious safety issues for users of floating leisure goods, but also bathers in general. According to the position of the CTO, as expressed in a letter to the Ministry of Interior, it is imperative that security issues for users be seriously considered and regulated in the best possible way.
According to the CTO, the guidelines must be elaborated and included as regulations in the Law on the Protection of the Beach for the licensing of installation and operation of floating leisure items. According to the CTO, it should be clarified from which services / departments, the Local Authority is required to obtain consent / consent for the suitability of the marine space that will be leased for the operation of floating leisure items. Also, for the possibility and process of renting maritime space to a Local Authority and then subleasing it to an individual, the CTO wants to know the provisions of the relevant legislation.
At the same time, he states that the qualifications that the manager and the employees of the marine water park must have must be determined, e.g. Clean criminal record, first aid diploma.
Another gap that needs to be clarified is at what stage the Beach Use Plan will be approved with the space where the floating leisure items will operate and what supporting documents, permits and certificates will be submitted by the Local Authority.
In order to preserve the natural environment and the safety of bathers, the maximum number of water parks per Local Authority / beach kilometers and the suitability of the beaches on which the water parks will operate should be determined in advance.
The CTO suggests banning the operation of marine water parks on the beaches of "Natura".
The guidelines of the Ministry of Interior state that the rental area will be located at a distance not exceeding 40 meters from the shoreline without clarifying whether it will be inside or outside the bathers' protection zone. The CTO's position is that the operation of water parks outside the protection zone of bathers on beaches where boats pass will have a high degree of danger.
Another important issue that arises is to determine the department / Service, with the necessary know-how and staffing that will be responsible for monitoring compliance with the guidelines (terms and conditions) by landlords and local authorities such as TEN and Port Police carry out checks and inspections for the legal and safe operation of water sports. According to the CTO, the Central Committee of Beaches does not have the staffing or the know-how to control the implementation of the guidelines.
At the same time, it is proposed that the water parks be placed preferably at the edges of the beaches so as not to obstruct the visibility and surveillance of the beach by lifeguards, as well as to set maximum values for the use of water parks as in the case of water sports. .
Staff and user safety
The Search and Rescue Coordination Center (KSED) emphasizes that the safety of staff and users during the stay and use of these facilities must be taken seriously. Given that floating leisure platforms will be within the area of responsibility of lifeguard towers, the KSED under the Ministry of Defense proposes the inclusion of additional provisions in the guidelines.
In particular, it proposes that in case they do not have a waterway to the coast, to have a speedboat at least 3,5 meters long for immediate use in case of emergency. The most important suggestions are the supervision of floating yachts by qualified lifeguards, as well as their inspection for safety and rescue means, every year regarding these guidelines by competent officials of the Ministry of Mercantile Marine.