Noisy Rainbow Beach tourists prompt calls for stricter noise control measures

An influx of visitors and no police station has created a tense mix in the normally peaceful and pristine township of Rainbow Beach, where loud holiday makers are making life hell for some of the locals.

Loud holiday makers have come under fire at Rainbow Beach on the Cooloola Coast, where residents say holiday rentals are taking over their neighbourhoods.

Sarah Booth, a local pilates and surf instructor, took to Facebook over the weekend to air her frustrations with “disruptive” Airbnbs taking over the small town.

“How dare you invite people into our neighbourhoods where our lives and children are,” she posted.

“You put so much disruption into these areas, take the money, and the people who live beside these places are the ones who pay!”

Ms Booth said she wrote the post late in the early hours of the morning after being kept awake through the night by holiday makers in town for the Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic.

While Ms Booth admits a lot of Airbnb guests are a pleasure to live next to, she said some were disruptive to the usually relaxed neighbourhood.

“You have people coming in without any knowledge of the community environment and also they don’t usually advise that they will be loud or having a party that night,” she said.

“This creates a hostile environment between local communities who get impacted from the renting of these places.”

Loud holiday makers have come under fire at Rainbow Beach on the Cooloola Coast, where residents say holiday rentals are taking over their neighbourhoods.

Ms Booth’s post quickly prompted fierce debate from locals and tourists alike.

“It’s a tourist and holiday village so put up with it,” one commenter said.

“The people in those holiday homes need to be more respectful but to call out people and say how dare they come into your neighbourhood is just stupid,” another commented.

One of the comments came from former Rainbow Beach Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Secretary of Commerce Tony Stewart.

“After having four businesses here over 30 years I wouldn’t like one now,” Mr Stewart said, citing noise as a major issue in the area.

Mr Stewart said the issues with holiday rentals revealed a deeper problem with noise control in Rainbow Beach.

“We definitely need a police station and that’s been on the agenda for a long time,” Mr Stewart said.

“Having police here ... is essential.”

Rainbow Beach currently only has a neighbourhood police beat.

When the facility is closed calls are transferred to the nearest police station in Tin Can Bay, more than 30km away.

Mr Stewart said this left residents feeling helpless.

“Many people are reluctant to even bother ringing up,” he said.

He said having a stronger police presence in town may help to curb the excessive noise and disruptive behaviour from holiday makers.

“If there was a presence in town all the time, I’m sure people would behave themselves a lot better,” he said.

“I think there’s too many people here that know that there’s no police on duty all the time here.”