Noosa Council gives go-ahead to three new holiday homes amid calls for urgent report on housing crisis

Noosa councillors went against recommendations to refuse applications for three new holiday homes at the same meeting they called for urgent action on the area’s housing crisis.

Noosa councillors approved three new holiday homes against officer’s recommendations while also calling for an urgent report to tackle the area’s housing crisis.

The council’s planning officers urged councillors to refuse the applications for short stay accommodation because it would worsen the rental property shortage and there was no need for more holiday homes.

They said 23 per cent of properties in the shire’s coastal suburbs were used for visitor accommodation.

Councillors were told that people were struggling to find rentals and part of the problem was the number of holiday homes and units.

But most councillors allowed the homeowners to go ahead with letting their homes because other properties in the same areas being used for holiday accommodation.

The properties were located at 2 Nola Street, Noosaville, and 29 Ferguson Street and 1/39 Duke Street at Sunshine Beach.

Tom Wegener and Frank Wilkie were the only two councillors to vote against the applications.

During the same meeting the councillors also called for an urgent report aimed at tackling the area’s housing crisis.

Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart said the council needed to help tackle the area’s housing crisis.

Mr Wegener said it was an opportunity to set a new precedent and “draw a line in the sand” to crack down on holiday home numbers.

“If we approve this the precedent is not going to change,” he said.

“We’re talking about drawing a line in the sand and asking for reports but at the same time we’re doing exactly the opposite.

“It just doesn’t make sense.”

Mayor Clare Stewart said there was no guarantee if the applications were rejected that the homes would be rented out.

“We’ve been in a housing crisis since December 2020 … we know because it’s happening Australia wide,” she said.

“We can’t point the finger to (short term accommodation) and say that’s the problem because we don’t know.”

The independent report into Noosa’s housing situation is expected to analyse options for community and emergency housing for groups including hospitality, health and other essential workers.

Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the report.

“We can’t fix this crisis on our own, it needs a lot more money from state and federal governments, but we are facing a housing emergency that is having an impact on the economy, on our businesses and affecting the liveability of our communities,” Ms Stewart said.

The report will also include an independent review of Noosa’s housing situation to help form the midterm planning scheme amendments.

“We need to dive deep. This is simply too important an issue not to be well thought out, well researched and solution-focused,” Ms Stewart said.

Ms Stewart said the housing crisis was the worst in Noosa’s history.

“We need to find a cure, not treat a symptom,” she said.

“Apart from the already commissioned research being done, this report will provide us with a plan, identify potential solutions and give us the data and possible interim policy responses to address the shortage of housing availability in the short, medium and long term.”

“We need to advocate for more state and federal government investment into social housing and we need to look at what planning opportunities are available to enhance the level of housing availability in the shire.”