A couple in South Australia has criticized the Mid Murray Council, describing it as "heartless" for prohibiting them from living in a caravan on their property following a fire that destroyed their home and claimed the lives of their pets.
Kimberlee and Amanda Murdoch purchased a stone home built in the early 1900s at Wombat Rise Sanctuary in Sandleton, northeast of Adelaide. The property, which also served as a sanctuary for numerous animals, including horses, dogs, cats, donkeys, an alpaca, and a goat, was engulfed in flames in July. The fire resulted in the death of their cat and a rescued kangaroo joey. Bob Cleaver, 84, who had sold the wildlife sanctuary to the Murdochs and was residing in the house at the time, also had to temporarily leave the property.
Following the fire, the Murdochs moved into a caravan on their land. They stated they had consulted information on the government's PlanSA website, which indicated they could do so without requiring planning or development approval. However, Kimberlee Murdoch expressed shock when the Mid Murray Council informed her that they had received a report about "illegal dwellings" and demanded the caravan be removed.
Murdoch stated that when she contacted the council, staff advised her that the information on the government website was inaccurate. "I had no idea," she told Yahoo News, adding that she wishes to ensure their caravan complies with regulations but found a recent visit from a council official to be disappointing. "Had we known we needed development approval to stay in the caravan following this fire, our approach would have been different. It doesn't need to be so authoritarian and heartless... You can still deliver rules humanely."
The Murdochs intend to file a formal complaint and are requesting to review the officer's body-camera footage.
A spokesperson for the state government acknowledged that the FAQ section of the PlanSA website should have specified "bushfire" instead of "fire" and that the information was "corrected immediately." The government stated it is collaborating with the Mid Murray Council to assist the affected residents and provide accurate planning requirements.
Mid Murray Council chief executive, Dr. Andrew Johnson, said he was satisfied with the officer's conduct, telling Yahoo News, "I am comfortable that the officer conducted themselves in a professional and respectful manner."
Kimberlee Murdoch initiated a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over $4,000 to help purchase a tiny home for Mr. Cleaver and enable his return to the property. She expressed that the council's involvement has been stressful, noting, "there are rules to follow that I didn't understand, particularly with the tiny home."
"Bob still isn't home. It's already been far longer than we wanted him away. I hope the person who reported this is happy with their actions," she added. "We've no interest in naming our suspicion or retaliating. We believe in karma. It will come back to them. We are just going to continue putting good out into the world and doing what we need to do to get Bob home."