Port Adelaide Enfield Council acts after abandoned Kilburn property becomes neighbour’s nightmare

An Adelaide man says his pleas for authorities to step in to fix the apocalyptic state of a “drug haven” that’s left their community shocked and angry.

Chris Iacopetta stands near his neighbour’s unoccupied home which has essentially turned into a "crack den", making him feel unsafe in his own house. Picture: Mark Brake

A Kilburn resident says his pleas for an abandoned “drug haven” next to his house to be cleared have fallen on deaf ears, with the situation so bad he’s been forced to flee his home of nine years.

Christopher Iacopetta, 40, says the property has been completely trashed and filled with rubbish, with a collapsing roof and piles of needles — but, for six months, nothing has been done.

Mr Iacopetta purchased the former Housing Trust property in 2012, and said the property next to him in the duplex had been unoccupied for as long as he could recall.

The street was largely filled with public housing tenants — but in January this year, after a number of tenants were moved out, he said the situation devolved into a “zombie-like apocalypse” as people started breaking into the empty homes.

“People were just stealing from places, ripping all the copper out of the ceilings ... the situation got so bad that most of the former Housing Trust places were boarded up,” he said.

“But the place next to me is the only place that’s completely not secure, so people continue to go in and out.”

An abandoned Kilburn property has been trashed and filled with rubbish and needles. Picture: Supplied

Mr Iacopetta said he felt unsafe living next to the property. Picture: Supplied

Piles of rubbish can be seen from Mr Iacopetta's fence. Picture: Supplied

Mr Iacopetta said the situation had become “more and more insane” at his neighbour’s privately-owned property.

“I’ve smelled fires burning, the place is full of needles, people are coming in in the middle of the night and going through the roof and coppering,” he said.

“I’ve called the cops plenty of times, I’ve filed a fire hazard report through the MFS, a substandard report, I rang up SA Health ... but nothing happens.”

He first contacted Port Adelaide Enfield Council on January 30 in a bid to address the issue, but said attempts at asking the council to step in had thus far been unsuccessful.

On July 5, Mr Iacopetta received correspondence from Mayor Claire Boan, who acknowledged the situation was “disgusting” and informed him the council in June had issued a Nuisance Abatement notice with a compliance date of July 9.

But, as of July 30, the owners were yet to comply.

“I was told they had contacted the property owner telling them to clean up the outside, put out some rat traps and cut the vegetation ... but nothing has happened. It’s been really frustrating,” he said.

“Everyone I show it to, they’re outraged and shocked ... but I feel like it just falls upon deaf ears as soon as it hits the bureaucracy.

“It feels like everyone just wants to pass the buck and not deal with it.”

Mr Iacopetta, who is a full-time psychology student, now lives mostly at his partner’s house and says the situation has impacted his mental health and studies.

“I just feel like it’s consumed the last six months of my life, it’s like I’m in purgatory — because I don’t want to live there anymore, but I don’t know if I can rent it out,” he said.

A Port Adelaide Enfield Council spokesperson said council staff had been working with the family of the property owner to come to a resolution and was working “as quickly as possible” to clean up and secure the vacant property.

They said council was engaging a contractor to undertake works with cleanup expected to be completed by the end of August, at the expense of the property owner.

Originally published as Port Adelaide Enfield Council acts after abandoned Kilburn property becomes neighbour’s nightmare