A Sydney mother who transforms her home into a popular Halloween attraction every year has been told she cannot continue running the free haunted house tours without the appropriate council approvals.
Every October, mum-of-four Sarah Naylor-Liddell transforms her south-west Sydney home with creative Halloween installations and is affectionately known as the Spider House among the local community.
What began as a festive display has grown into a major attraction, drawing thousands of visitors and requiring enough lollies for an estimated 5000 people on Halloween night.
“I guess I never anticipated it to be as big as it has gone to,” she said.
“We had, you know, hundreds of people come by, then thousands.
‘Now I have to have enough candy for at least 5000 people on Halloween.”
For six nights on October, Naylor-Liddell opens her haunted house to the public free of charge to share her love of the spooky season with local families.
But she said she had been told this year’s event would be her last, after council contacted her about the activity following a complaint.
“We received a phone call that obviously the council has known about what we do,” she said.
“It took one person, one complaint.
“And of all these years, one person has complaints.”
Naylor-Liddell shared the news on social media, saying she had been told an application for a permit would be rejected.
“It literally breaks my heart so much,” she said in a video.
The post prompted an outpouring of support, with residents expressing disappointment at the prospect of losing a Halloween attraction that has become a local tradition.
“Absolutely disgusting! This is going to break so many kids’ hearts,” one resident said.
“Sounds like a Halloween Grinch to me! God forbid someone do something nice and celebrate spooky season,” another local said.
Others called the decision “un-Australian” and urged the council to “go fix the potholes instead, you party poopers, think of the kids”.
Neighbour Laksmhi said they had “loved” the display and supported the family over the years.
Naylor-Liddell said she did not know who had complained and was willing to share her decorations with anyone who wanted to create their own display.
“I’m happy to lend them some of my stuff if they want to like to decorate their house,” she said.
Camden Council shared a statement saying that this while she can still host the Halloween event this year, they would need to obtain the appropriate approvals before running the activity in the future.
The council said it had received complaints from surrounding residents, including concerns about community safety, roads and traffic.
It said the issue was not the Halloween decorations themselves, but the organised tours and their potential impact on public spaces and nearby residents,.
Depending on the scale and nature of an activity, planning requirements may include development consent, as well as checks relating to pedestrian safety, noise, security and the impact on neighbours.
The council said the activity had been operating without the necessary checks and approvals, while adding it was willing to work with the family to help them understand the requirements for future events.
Residents planning similar displays or activities have been encouraged to contact the council early to establish whether approvals are needed.
Despite the uncertainty over next year, Naylor-Liddell said she hopes a solution can be found that allows the attraction to continue without charging visitors.
“I don’t want people to be charged for something like this, I don’t want it to become a money-making thing,” she said.
“You know we have enough of that everywhere in the world, in life.”
Image: A Current Affair
