The Board orders the removal of the Dunedin tree house "non-compliant"

Up to a dozen children used a popular neighborhood hut in their "war" games.

But now a bigger battle is going on as the owners confront the Dunedin City Council (DCC), which has ordered "

" I really do not really want to take it off, "says Janice Norman- Oke, owner of Mosgiel.

The house was built by his father, Trevor Norman, for his grandchildren. Logan, Devon and Ethan

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It had been a popular hostage hideaway for children and their friends since its construction in April but also caused a complaint in this first week.

Rachael and Morris, owners of the only two-storey house of their neighbors, complained to the council According to council documents

council inspectors went to the scene and found that even though the cabin in the trees did not lead to the privacy of neighbors, she failed.

Council was concerned about barriers, its structure, durability, and access to stairs, ladders, and ramps.

The hut in the trees, which met the definition of a building according to the inspectors, "does not comply, must therefore be removed". , who also have children, did not pose the problem directly to Norman-Oke. They did not return calls or messages from Stuff Tuesday .

Norman-Oke said that she was not angry with the couple, but with the advice that "ran with the complaint".

"It's a treehouse, it should not have to adhere to any specific building codes."

"And as a parent, I should be able to decide what is safe and what is not for my own children."

She feared that New Zealand would become like a child. America, "this sort of litigious society."

"The council says that if my children fall from the hut and that they know it, the council is responsible." But if my children fall out of school tree, so that's OK because it's not an artificial structure. "

Neil McLeod, senior consultant in construction solutions at DCC, said the council" is not looking for a problem like that. "

McLeod confirmed that the board had received only one more complaint about tree houses

.This structure, which did not meet the requirements of the code either of the building, had to be removed.

Norman-Oke, health and safety consultant, said that she knew 20 by ents with cabins in their backyards, which were now worried.

"If I knew it was a problem, I would have contacted the council before it was built," she said.

The big plum tree already had a platform when she bought the house three years ago. "All we did was built on He added another level."

The treehouse was 2.9 meters above the ground, which was under the threshold of three meters for the first time. private playground equipment. The addition of railings pushed her to such a height.

"So if we moved the safety ramps, it would be private playground equipment and the DCC would disappear."

But that would put his children at risk. just stupid, "she said.

Norman-Oke said that she liked her boys playing outside, rather than being inside to play games. games or watching TV.

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