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Residents have a further two weeks to have their say on plans aimed at cracking down on short-stay holiday homes and units in Noosa.
Noosa Council extended consultation on the draft local law until May 28 because of the importance of the proposed new rules.
It proposes new rules for property owners including that they apply for annual registration, keep a record of complaints and have a manager who lives within 20 minutes of the home or unit.
Industry members labelled the proposal as “draconian” and said it risked leading to homeowners pulling out of the short stay letting pool entirely – leaving tourists with fewer accommodation options.
Sunshine Beach resident Bruce McLean says he is finally enjoying peaceful nights after a letting agent took charge of a neighbouring short-stay rental house and enforced a strict code of conduct.
But the nearby property manager of Coral Beach Noosa Resort Finola Thompson, who formally objected to application, is not happy. Everything has been done the wrong way round, the focus should be on having professional operators who have a code of standards, who have response times, Ms Thompson said. How are council going to enforce the conditions, that s the main thing and how will they know whether it s being enforced on not? If you look at the design of that property that has just been approved it all opens out to the street so if that one is not properly managed that will disturb the whole street, she said.
Staff have set a limit of eight people staying in the four-bedroom home, owned by Maxwell and Elaine Keegan, as part of a raft of conditions. Councillors Karen Finzel and Tom Wegener have voiced reservations about the proliferation of short stays in the area in the wake of 18 local submissions objecting to the application and one in favour. Jeanette Gentle of nearby Laburnum Cres in her submission said Robert St, Janet St, Cloudsley St and her street made up one of the few places in Noosaville where predominantly houses are occupied by a permanent owner population . The site of the short-stay rental application.
The location of the Hill St duplex which is applying for short-stay accommodation. Team BnB director Melanie Fairbairn has written to the council outlining how the new rental property, on the corner of Pacific Ave, would comply with the incoming council short-stay letting local law. As a local business we are committed to ensuring that all of our guests are respectful of the property and surrounding neighbourhood, Ms Fairbairn said. She said there would be a maximum of four guests - two per bedroom with agreed house rules. They included having no parties, events or schoolies celebrations as well as limiting noise and vehicles parked at the property.