Port Phillip Council investigating nature strip play equipment permit system
Lockdown laws have children — and parents — climbing the walls but in one Melbourne council they could soon be swinging from the trees instead as hundreds of people sign petitions calling for nature strips to be transformed into mini playgrounds.
Inner South
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Lockdown laws have children — and parents — climbing the walls but a plan is underway in Port Phillip which could see them swinging from the trees instead.
It comes after hundreds signed petitions calling for families in Albert Park and St Kilda East to be allowed keep their tree swings.
About 25 people had complained about the swings in the past two months amid safety concerns, prompting Port Phillip Council officers order the swings be removed.
Now the council is investigating whether to change its local laws to make it possible for people to apply for permits to install play equipment on public land.
Tiffany Zinn said she installed a swing and climbing rope on a tree outside her St Kilda East home to give her little girls somewhere to play outside for an hour a day during the lockdown restrictions.
“They ride their little bikes in the driveway and go on the swing and climbing ladder and there’s someone with them all the time,” she said.
“My kids are young (three and one) but I don’t want them in front of screens or the TV all day, I want them to be able to get out and enjoy the wind in their face and the sun on their backs a bit.”
Ms Zinn said the equipment had been “a saviour” for other families in the street too, with playgrounds closed during the pandemic.
“There were lots of people who were pretty disappointed (when the council officer said it needed to be removed),” she said.
“We have a What’s App group for people living in the street and I messaged asking people to sign the petition and we got about 120 signatures pretty quickly.”
Meanwhile, a petition over a similar nature strip swing set up in Albert Park garnered about 330 signatures.
The council said under local laws it was illegal to attach structures to council assets, including trees. The law is designed to protect the assets from damage, as well as for public safety.
But councillors have called for an investigation into changing the law so that people can apply for permits for nature strip swings and play equipment.
If it goes ahead, it could help families claw back some much-needed outdoor space.
Cr David Brand said the process would probably involve an arborists’ assessment to ensure the tree is not damaged and that it can carry any load put on it”.
“(The play equipment is) obviously a really great little piece of community initiative and spirit,” he said.
Cr Dick Gross said the council didn’t want to get a reputation as “the fun fascists” but needed to ensure it met its obligations to ensure public safety.
“We understand it’s important at this time, where people’s only recourse from being locked down is to spill into the streets,” he said.
“But we can’t ignore it because 25 people in the past couple of months have complained.”
Cr Bernadene Voss said the council needed to find a solution that protected children, the trees and passers-by from harm.
“There’s a very strong desire to allow children to play in our streets and our trees but the last thing we want is someone to be hurt or killed,” she said.
“Somewhere in all of this we should achieve a balance that is sensible.”
Councillors unanimously voted to investigate a permit process for nature strip equipment.
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