Tasmania’s Education Minister has offered her heartfelt support to grieving families following Friday’s not guilty verdict in the Hillcrest Primary School jumping castle tragedy case.
Speaking after the Devonport Magistrates Court decision, Minister Jo Palmer acknowledged the profound difficulty the day represented for the six families who lost their children and those whose children were injured.
“We just want them to know that we hold them in our hearts and our thoughts every day, but particularly we do today,” Palmer said. “We know these sort of days are the really hard days.”
The tragedy unfolded during end-of-year celebrations at the Devonport school when a jumping castle became airborne, killing six children and injuring others.
The incident sent shockwaves through Tasmania and the broader Australian community.
Palmer reflected on the lasting impact the tragedy has had on the state, describing how it fundamentally changed the community.
“Four years ago, Tasmania’s heart was really broken with what happened in this tragedy and losing the lives of six children and the children who were injured,” she said.
“We continue to feel so sad and we will forever be changed by this tragedy, but the way we feel as a community pales into insignificance when we think about the families who buried their children.”
The minister revealed that the state government is moving forward with plans for a permanent memorial, with the design being shaped by the wishes of the affected families.
“The heart of that memorial is very much centred around the wishes of the families who have been so deeply impacted,” Palmer said.
She described the planned memorial as a place where the Hillcrest School community and all Tasmanians could “spend time quietly reflecting on how grateful we are for the things we have and acknowledging the things that we’ve lost”.
“We remain shattered and we know that this pain will be with them forever and we’re just so sorry that they’ve had to live through it,” Palmer said.
