The Mount Barker District Council has directed Forest School SA to stop all activities at Anembo Park in Mount Barker due to significant safety and property concerns identified during a recent site inspection.
Program founder Bell Gower said she was surprised by the order, which came via email instructing that "all Forest School activities at the site cease immediately while the matter is being considered."
According to the council's email, concerns include damage to existing trees, the presence of fire pits and evidence of fires, and activities extending onto land managed by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport. Council officers also noted swings installed within the reserve and highlighted that the Forest School area is located immediately adjacent to the South Eastern Freeway, with no physical barriers separating participants from the roadway.
Ms. Gower explained that the program had been operating in Mount Barker for about a year after relocating from Kuitpo and had received council approval. Approximately 40 families are enrolled in the program, which attracts hundreds of participants during school holidays.
A council spokesperson affirmed the district's support for nature-based learning and stated that they have been working with Forest School SA since early 2025 to regularise its operations.
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