Debate after Mt Barker Council tears down cubby house built by kids on council land

An Adelaide Hills council has sparked debate over safety and priorities after it tore down an “unsafe” cubby built by kids.

An Adelaide Hills council’s decision to remove an “unsafe” cubby house built by children with recycled materials on council land has sparked debate about liability and safety on social media.

A social media post in a community group that’s since been removed has stirred debate about the decision by Mt Barker Council to remove a cubby house but not fix potholes in roads.

Arnd Enneking, 45, whose kids started the cubby project, was devastated when the council tore down the structure on Wednesday – despite it being built on council land.

He said the cubby house taught his children valuable skills that couldn’t be learnt at public playgrounds.

“The kids collect some pallets and bits of wood that were on the side of the road and they just chipped away at it, or as materials appeared, they would add to it and change it,” he said.

The cubby house in Mt Barker is removed by the council. Picture: Supplied

“The way (the council) went about it was a bit heavy-handed, they just rocked up with an excavator and started tearing at it.

“It’s one thing to go to a playground where everything’s there and then the kids play around a bit, and then they get bored, but the fact that they can engage with (the cubby house) and use their imagination,” Mr Enneking said.

“They’re actually learning how to deal with danger, and how to look out for hazards and things like that.”

It comes after Charles Sturt Council removed a homemade BMX track built by kids earlier this month, and a community-made nature-play zone at Seaford was destroyed in January.

And earlier in the year, a Seaview Downs man became entangled in a stand-off with Marion Council over the treehouse he built for his stepdaughter.

The cubby house, built over a period of six to eight months in a quiet reserve on Mt Barker’s eastern side, brought the community together, he said.

“(The kids) blossomed … you’ve got some fairly reclusive kids around, and even they came out eventually and started playing and that’s such a positive thing that there’s an incentive to try and facilitate that for kids,” he said.

“Everyone was somehow interacting with the structure in the neighbourhood, because it was a community-owned thing.

“When kids build these sorts of things it’s not the council’s fault if someone gets hurt.”

Mt Barker Council said the cubby house had been deemed “unsafe” and “illegal” by council officers after a resident complained about it.

“The structure was a cubby made from wooden pallets – some of it on the ground and other parts attached to a river red gum at about 2-3 metres high,” general manager infrastructure Phil Burton said.

“Council staff inspected the cubby and deemed it unsafe and started removal.”

Mr Enneking hoped it would create open conversation between the community and council on litigation and safety matters.

Mt Barker cubby house is being removed by the council. Picture: Supplied

“How can we let kids be kids without being worried about one person suing someone just because of some frivolous idea that it’s not safe – or because nothing’s 100 per cent safe anyway,” he said.

“We end up with these sterile spaces where no one really wants to hang out and no one interacts really, but the interaction around this was unbelievable. We need to find a way to make it possible.”

“The comment from the council workers was that’s the rules, and I said, ‘maybe we need to change the rules’.

“To have a chat around this whole liability issue where no one’s willing to do anything anymore because they’re worried about someone stubbing their toe and suing or something.”

Mr Burton said he and other council officers would meet with residents who had built the cubby to find out how they could better support children in the area

“This could be in the form of running some local activities, providing some nature play opportunities within agreed boundaries, or other ideas that the young people might come up with,” he said.

“This local opportunity is complemented by the new and upgraded play spaces council is providing across Mount Barker, Littlehampton and Nairne.”

Mt Barker and District Residents Association chair Dianne Van Eck said it was difficult for councils not to act on matters when they’ve been informed about it.

“The council has to be mindful of its risk management of these types of structures and that’s their responsibility,” she said.

“It’s sad for kids and their families, but the bigger issue is small blocks of land with large houses on them, so no place for kids to play anymore.

“In all the new developments that developers up and with, in conjunction with council, my understanding is developing playgrounds and play facilities and the blue stone development is a good example of that, great facilities there for kids.”