Balloons, chalk drawings among strangest things Melbourne councils have banned
Hot on the heels of one council floating the idea of banning backyard barbecues, we look back at some of the most outrageous prohibitions — from chalk and glowsticks, to hedges and basketball hoops.
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Banning chalk drawings on the footpath, local cricket matches and balloons, has earnt many Melbourne councils a reputation as the ‘fun police’.
And with Bayside Council now considering banning the backyard barbecue, we take a look at some of the seemingly harmless things outlawed by our elected officials.
BARBECUES
Bayside Council is seeking feedback on a plan to ban the humble backyard barbecue. The proposal, sparked by just three complaints a year, would prohibit people from burning solid fuels — such as wood and charcoal — outdoors, including for cooking or heating purposes.
That means, no more homemade wood-fired pizzas or smoked meats.
The idea, which seeks to protect neighbouring properties from “offensive smoke and odours” has come under fire for being “un-Australian”.
Residents can have their say on the idea via the council’s website.
CRICKET MATCHES
Despite an incident-free 50 years, Stonnington Council last year banned South Yarra Cricket Club from playing two games at once on overlapping ovals.
Players had shared parts of the two fields at Como Oval for decades because the grounds were undersized for senior cricket under Cricket Australia guidelines.
The council said the new rule was for safety reasons, but the sudden ban infuriated players and forced many to travel to Waverly Oval in Malvern East for games.
BALLOONS
Port Phillip Council banned balloons at outdoor events in the municipality in 2017. The ban was part of a push to reduce litter washing into the waterways.
It came after a survey of litter collected along a 35m stretch of Port Melbourne beach over a 12-month period revealed balloons and balloon strings were among the most common items of debris washing into Port Phillip Bay.
Meanwhile, in 2018, Darebin councillors unanimously voted to ban a range of plastics, including balloons and disposable food containers from being used or sold on council land as part of a crackdown on single-use plastics.
CHALK
No more footpath drawings? Chalk it up to bureaucracy.
Whitehorse Council copped a massive backlash when it put the kybosh on children’s fun in 2011, labelling the budding chalk artists graffiti vandals.
Banning the use of chalk, or chalk drawings, on footpaths, then-Mayor Ben Stennett said the colourful doodles contravened graffiti laws.
Further, it was claimed that children scribbling on the path could be a safety or tripping hazard for people walking down the street.
PLAY EQUIPMENT
From basketball hoops to swings, Bayside Council has come under fire for forcing sport-loving children indoors, banning a street basketball hoop amid safety concerns.
Last year, the council threatened families in a quiet Beaumaris cul-de-sac with hefty fines if they didn’t remove the sports gear, including a basketball hoop and tree swing.
The equipment was a joint purchase by families and had been there for about six months before the council swooped.
The council said there had been a number of safety complaints regarding items obstructing the footpath and roadway.
The same council also banned a swing from the nature strip outside a Brighton East home, leaving the owner’s grandchildren devastated and prompting a passionate plea for it to be allowed to stay. The plea fell on deaf ears.
GLOWSTICKS
As part of its war on waste, Banyule Council banned glowsticks from iconic neighbourhood celebrations.
The council banished the light-up plastic tubes from Ivanhoe’s Boulevard Lights Christmas display, saying they’re bad for the environment and they distract children from “community spirit”.
“It was found glow sticks contributed to the cost of cleaning up the event and feedback from parents found they were distracting children from fully participating in the purpose of the event,” then-Mayor Mark Di Pasquale said.
PRICKLY PLANTS
A keen gardener was ordered to remove spiky plants from his Cheltenham nature strip because they posed a “safety risk”.
Kingston Council ordered the agaves be removed — or the owner would be slapped with a $200 fine over the roadside plants.
The plants had been thriving on the nature strip for about three years before the council pulled the pin on the succulents in 2018.
HEDGES
Giant hedges around exclusive Mornington Peninsula properties would be banned under a desperate plan to protect the “best views in the world”
Existing local laws prevent solid hedges higher than 1.5m from being planted along 12 main roads across the shire without a permit.
Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors this year floated the idea of extending the restrictions to apply to all roads within the Green Wedge, which covers almost three quarters of the region.
The plan aims to save unique views, including those from the region’s hinterland across Port Phillip Bay to Phillip Island.
STREET GROCERS
Maribyrnong Council sparked uproar in 2018 when it banned Footscray’s popular street grocers from selling goods such as herbs, vegetables and plants along footpaths.
The dozens of street vendors, described by residents as the “heart and soul of the community” will now cop a $500 fine if they are caught selling their wares without a permit.
CAKES AT KINDERGARTENS
Children in Knox were banned from bringing mum’s homemade cakes to kinder about six years ago due to concerns over “correct food handling procedures, as well as allergy control”.
The ban meant a child could bring a piece of nan’s cake for their lunch — but homemade birthday cakes could not be shared with classmates.
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