The Town of Cottesloe is considering making residents pay fees and insurance on swings and cubby houses on their front verges in a move that has perplexed residents and left WA's Local Government Minister asking councils to be facilitators to community ideas, rather than regulators.
Key points:
- The Town of Cottesloe is considering a new policy on play equipment
- It wants to introduce fees and insurance for front verge swings
- Residents say the move will curb social interaction among neighbours
The proposal includes a $280 application fee, plus a $1-per-square-metre fee each month.
On top of that, the proposal outlines the play equipment structure must be inspected annually at the owner's cost, who must also take out and maintain an appropriate level of insurance cover for the structure.
It must also meet Australian standards for public play equipment and therefore be inspected and approved by an appropriate person at the resident's expense.
Cottesloe resident and mother-of-four Camilla Rea, who has monkey bars on her front verge, said play equipment on her street and others nearby had been "amazing" for the community and brought residents closer, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We've got a neighbour who has just moved from over east and having the monkey bars meant that they … met our kids on the street and then became involved in the local nippers," she said.
Ms Rea said the swings and other equipment had not only brought together children of different ages and schools, but had also attracted older neighbours.
"It's the incidental conversations that we have through being on the verge," she said.
She and other residents, who have banded together to oppose the proposal, feared the added red tape would lead to residents removing their equipment.
The council's current residential verges policy states that tree houses, tree swings and other play structures were not considered appropriate within the road reserve due to safety issues.
But it allows for such structures to be considered when a permit application is made.
The Town of Cottesloe said the proposal would go to a council meeting on Tuesday night and that it would not be making any further comment until after the meeting.
'Strongly encourage' opposite approach: Minister
Local Government Minister John Carey, who was previously the City of Vincent mayor, said he wanted to "encourage all councils to look beyond just being a regulator, but actually being a facilitator to enabling local residents to do great stuff".
He said during COVID-19, residents had wanted to activate their streets and other councils had proved that was possible.
"We've seen forward-thinking local governments actually go in the opposite direction," he said.
"They're actually cutting red tape so that local residents can install swings and play equipment, beautify their trees, or get out and do further greening.
"I strongly encourage that approach."
Mr Carey said adding more "hurdles" and "bureaucracy" would discourage play equipment on front verges.
"Unfortunately, many people [would] just say it's too tough and [would] walk away," he said.
"The worst scenario is that we have streets that aren't active."
Mr Carey said it was not his role to lobby councils and he would not be contacting the Town of Cottesloe about the impending decision.
Vincent moves to expand verge activity
Some Cottesloe residents point to the City of Vincent as an example of a local government having handled the issue of verges progressively.
In 2018, the City of Vincent amended its policy for street trees to allow residents to attach ladders, swings, cubby houses and platforms to trees, as well as decorations and lighting.
Mayor Emma Cole said her council saw the change as something that reflected the community's desires.
"We saw it as a great way to bring people out onto the street … [and] encourage people to talk to their neighbours," she said.
Ms Cole said the council provided advice around safety, such as advising residents not to install swings that reach the road.
"But you don't require any written approval or [you] don't have to fill out a form or anything like that, provided ... what you're doing is in line with that policy," she said.
Ms Cole said the city's insurance policy was in place for the public verges, but to her knowledge the council had not had any insurance claims from verge incidents.
In the Cottesloe proposal, the council administration said the “majority of other western suburbs councils do not permit fixed structures such as cubby houses and tree swings”.
But it did note the Town of Mosman Park and the City of Subiaco had recently amended their rules to allow residents to have more autonomy over their verges.