Inner West and Willoughby councils branded 'fun police' over Halloween decoration warnings
Someone call the ‘fun police’. A pair of Sydney councils have been slammed for a series of Facebook posts telling locals not to use synthetic materials to decorate for Halloween. See the posts.
A Halloween scare campaign is underway in Sydney’s suburbs, with councils warning residents off using spooky decorations like fake spider webs in a move that’s been labelled a “nanny state overreach”.
The push by the Inner West and Willoughby councils claims to be based on environmental concerns, yet native animal organisations say they cannot “definitively link” the decorations to injuries to wildlife.
With October 31 just weeks away, the Inner West Council urged residents to “avoid the horror of dangerous decorations” in a post online on Monday.
“Wildlife can ingest or get stuck in synthetic cobwebs, fishing line, plastic rope/string and balloons,” the council’s Facebook post read.
Straw, cotton wool, sticks, twigs, leaves and pumpkins or “upcycled and reusable decorations” were suggested as alternatives.
Earlier this month, Willoughby Council also asked residents to avoid decorating with synthetic spiderwebs, writing: “Some decorations – especially fake spider webs ️ – can be harmful to birds and other wildlife.”
“Animals can get tangled in them or mistake the plastic for food, which can cause serious harm … choose or create decorations that are safe for nature and use less single-use plastic.”
Local councils don’t have the power to fine residents for using the materials as Halloween decorations, but a South Australian council began weighing up legislating a ban on the fake spider webs in June this year.
In a statement, Willoughby Council said it did not “collect local data on wildlife injuries related to Halloween decorations”, but “environmental groups have raised concerns about the impact of synthetic materials on native species”.
An Inner West Council spokesman declined to comment and referred The Daily Telegraph to animal rescue group WIRES, which said “entanglement is a common call”.
“Many Halloween decorations are potential risks for our native wildlife especially birds, possums, gliders, bats and lizards,” a spokesman said.
“We ask households celebrating Halloween to please remove any snow, netting and spider webs once the night is over to help reduce the risk of harm to native wildlife.”
But when asked how many animals had been rescued from Halloween decorations in years previously, the organisation said only two had received vet treatment for entanglement last year.
“We can’t definitively link Halloween decorations to wildlife getting caught,” a WIRES spokesman said.
“What we can ask is for people to be proactive in reporting any trapped wildlife.”
NSW Opposition local government spokesman Chris Rath slammed the two Sydney councils for what he called “another example of nanny state overreach by overzealous council bureaucrats”.
“Councils shouldn’t be the fun police where they micromanage residents’ Halloween decorations,’ Mr Rath said.
“They should be focused on roads, rates and rubbish.”
Fairfield City Council Mayor Frank Carbone labelled the two councils “the fun police”.
“Unfortunately, some councils like to be the fun police,” Mr Carbone said.
“It’s not for us to tell people how to celebrate on their own property.
“It’s no different to people celebrating Christmas and putting up Christmas decorations.”
Mr Carbone urged a “common sense approach” from councils and residents.
“Halloween doesn’t go for weeks or months, it’s two nights,” he said.
“I don’t see a problem with it.”
But Willoughby Liberal MP Tim James said it was “reasonable to raise awareness of the environmental issues relating to certain decorations”.
“I understand (Willoughby) Council is attempting to educate the community here rather than wanting to issue any sort of enforceable instructions,” he said.
“Ultimately, how people decorate their homes is up to them.”
Kim Bertram’s family has spent $5000 on props decorating their Ingleburn home for trick or treating season.
“I think councils (have) got another lot of issues that they should be dealing with other than just synthetic spiders for one day,” Ms Bertram said.
“It’s just a bit of fun for the kids, and it does bring families together.”
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