A popular venue in Western Australia's South West has been forced into a major public apology after a heavily promoted community event spectacularly missed the mark, leaving dozens of local families disappointed and frustrated.
Promises vs. Reality: A Day of Disappointment
The Rec in Waroona had advertised a special Family Fun Day for Sunday, 19 January 2026, designed to celebrate the official opening of its new playground. Social media promotions painted an enticing picture for the South West community, listing a suite of activities including mini golf, face painting, a kid's raffle, and a sausage sizzle.
However, upon arrival, attendees were met with confusion and a stark lack of the advertised festivities. Reports quickly surfaced on the venue's Facebook page, with one commenter stating staff had "no idea about the raffle", while another simply lamented that "nothing was happening at all".
Further compounding the issues were significant problems with table bookings. An anonymous attendee revealed to PerthNow an even more serious safety concern: the new playground's swing set was deemed "unsafe with bolts not secured". This led venue staff to close off access to the entire play area just an hour and a half after the event commenced.
A Swift Apology and Internal Fallout
Facing a wave of negative feedback, the venue's management acted quickly, releasing a formal statement of apology on Sunday afternoon. In the post, The Rec "unreservedly apologised" for the event's execution, admitting they had "completely missed the mark."
The statement acknowledged the "significant issues" experienced by families, from botched bookings to staff being unaware of planned activities. It cited "sudden and unforeseen operational circumstances beyond our control" just prior to the weekend as a key cause for the disorganisation.
The Rec's general group manager, Troy Lowrey, provided exclusive insight to PerthNow, revealing the core issue: a member of the Waroona venue's management team had parted ways with the company in the days leading up to the event. Head office only became aware of the problems when social media messages expressing disappointment began to surface.
"We wanted to apologise for what happened," Mr Lowrey stated, emphasising the apology was meant to address attendee disappointment and not to seek praise. Regarding the playground, he confirmed it was installed correctly but a crew would be sent on Tuesday to reset the equipment, and it would remain closed until then.
Community Reaction and Making Amends
The public apology elicited a mixed response from the community. Some locals praised the venue's honesty and accountability. "Good on you for acknowledging the problem!" one supporter wrote. Another noted that people would remember the swift response more than the failed day.
Others, however, remained critical of the poor communication. Several commenters suggested that clear updates beforehand or on the day could have prevented much of the frustration, with one stating cancellation and rescheduling would have been a better approach than proceeding with a substandard event.
In a bid to make amends, Troy Lowrey gave PerthNow exclusive details on a planned make-good event. The Rec will host a "massive" Australia Day event, featuring a "Free Food Sunday" where anyone attending within a specific time window will be fed for free. The venue also pledged to undergo "immediate internal restructuring" to prevent a repeat of the organisational failure.
