Marion Council orders report to investigate banning artificial spiderwebs, a common Halloween decoration

It’s a much-loved spooky decoration, but an Adelaide council is considering banning it from local streets. Vote in our poll.

A toddler dressed up as Stitch for Halloween. Picture: Glenn Campbell

A council in Adelaide’s south is weighing a ban of artificial spiderwebs, a popular Halloween decoration, after a councillor warned of their unwanted environmental side-effects.

Marion councillors on Tuesday night voted unanimously for staff to prepare a report investigating the merits of banning the item on local verges.

Councillor Sarah Luscombe, who brought the motion to council, asked for the report to be ready by September so the webs could potentially be banned in time for Halloween the following month.

Halloween decorations including the controversial spiderwebs. Picture: iStock

The motion asked council staff to provide recommendations for preventing community members from placing artificial spiderwebs on verges, such as through a ban, an education campaign or a time limit regulating how long the decoration could stay put.

“These artificial webs are made of polyester and pose a hazard to wildlife, by trapping animals or being incorporated into nests,” Ms Luscombe told council with her motion.

“There is also risk that the polyester can end up in our waterways, adding to plastic and microplastic pollution.

“Further, residents have been observed to neglect to remove the artificial webs, keeping the artificial webs in place for many months after Halloween is over.”

Marion Council Mayor Kris Hanna told The Advertiser the resolution “simply calls for staff to bring a report”.

“We all appreciate the environmental concerns but I doubt the community really wants council inspectors going around fining people for Halloween decorations,” he said.

Ms Luscombe said the council had previously banned fake turf on verges, and could potentially do the same for artificial spiderwebs.

Nicky Munro, 10, Oskar Clemow, 7 and Ewan Munro, 7, dressed up for Halloween in Adelaide in 2023. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Conservation Council SA chief executive Kirsty Bevan said she would “absolutely support” a Marion and even a national ban.

“My preference would be for them to be banned completely, particularly in South Australia where we have very strong environmental rules around single-use plastics,” she said.

“We’re looking at some incredible wins in terms of our bans on single-use plastic … and I think that this really fits in line with the vision for South Australia to lead the nation, if not globally, on being thoughtful in terms of our impact.”

Cassandra Holmes and Nathan Fairbank, who run popular Reynella Halloween event Nightmare on Lucas St, said they stopped using the decoration “ages ago” because of its “annoyingness”.

“They’re sticky, and all your little bugs and insects get caught on them,” they said.

“They literally just stick to everything, they’re like honey, but in the form of fluff.”

The couple said they would not be bothered by a ban and recommended using beef netting, a reusable alternative.

Ms Luscombe said if a ban was “not considered desirable, residents may be allowed to have artificial spider webs up for a certain time limit over Halloween”.