By Leigh Mccready
In 2022, Noosa Council adopted a Local Law to regulate short-term accommodation but two years on, one-third of STA properties (short term accommodation) – that’s 1500 properties, in the shire remain unregistered and therefore beyond the reach of the council regulations.
There are no occupancy limits, no limits to street parking and the council team tasked with policing them is understaffed and overwhelmed.
Most of these dwellings are owned by investors who do not live in Noosa Shire.
Council candidate, Leigh McCready has come out in support of Noosa residents this week and announced that if elected, she will work with the Mayor and chief executive officer to improve the situation for Noosa residents impacted negatively by STAs in their area by:
· Boosting the team tasked with making sure STA properties follow the rules.
· Exempting resorts with on-site managers from the regulations which would free up council resources to focus on improving residential amenity and over time, re-direct tourists back into purpose-built resorts rather than residential areas.
· Improve transparency around STAs by creating a dashboard on the council website that would include information such as numbers of applications approved and registered; numbers re-registered; numbers rejected; numbers of calls to the complaints hot line; number of hot line complaints positively resolved; and numbers of show cause letters and enforcement notices issued.
“We currently have major issues with some property owners failing to register their houses as holiday rentals.
“It is often these unregistered properties which aren’t complying with the Local Law – council is unable to follow up on breaches due to the properties being unregistered – it’s a vicious cycle and has to change.
“Most of the holiday rentals in Noosa are well-managed, and many have best-in-class property managers who never have complaints. It’s the poorly-managed properties in residential areas which need to be better controlled – the current council has had two years to roll out the implementation of the laws. We need to create an environment where every Noosa resident can enjoy peace and comfort in their own home,” Ms McCready said.
Have your say in the Noosa Council elections on 16 March, pre-polling opens on 4 March.
Go to leighmccready.com for more information.
