Whitsunday council approves short term accommodation in Hydeaway Bay
Residents are fighting to stop their seaside suburb being overrun by holiday rentals with one in 20 homes now short term accommodation. Read why the council says the decision is out of their hands.
Whitsunday
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The Whitsundays’ picturesque Hydeaway Bay is quickly becoming the next hotspot for holiday rentals as residents fight against the transformation.
Councillors on Wednesday approved two more applications to turn homes into short term accommodation lettings, making 23 out of 400 properties holiday rentals, or about one in 20.
Councillor Clay Bauman strongly opposed the proposals, arguing STA in the bay should be “limited”.
“The definition of the word limited is to have limits and we don’t have any,” Mr Bauman said at the ordinary meeting of Whitsunday Regional Council.
“I think we will see one person who will end up with 13 short term accommodation within 300m of their home.
“We’ve seen four submissions, each signed by a couple, and they don’t want to live next door to a hotel.”
Other councillors said the applications would necessarily be approved at some point as they complied with local and state planning policies.
“If we don’t approve this today … it’ll be back before us in 12 months time, with a lot of money spent and time spent,” Councillor Gary Simpson said.
The first home councillors approved for STA was a two-storey property at 16 Olden Crt.
Submissions against the proposal stated there was not enough parking in the cul-de-sac, allowing up to eight guests at time would generate too much noise and disruption, and “the continued use of Hydeaway Bay as a tourist accommodation venue (was) promoting and encouraging unapproved use of vacant land for short term rental(s) like Hip Camp”.
Bay. Picture: Property.com.au
Residents further complained about security concerns, and difficulties in contacting property managers after 10pm or on weekends with STAs in the bay already failing to display the appropriate contact details.
Councillor Jan Clifford asked the Director of Planning and Development Neil McGaffin about property management and whether the council knew who would respond to residents’ concerns.
Mr McGaffin said developers were required to confirm a “management regime” was in place.
“Sometimes we do get an education about who it is and where they are, but at the end of the day we rely on the applicant’s statute of declaration,” Mr McGaffin said.
Mr Bauman said legislation stated the property manager should live no more than 20 minutes from the properties but that was not the case.
The second approved application was for a two-storey home at 11 Roseric Crescent.
Submissions raised concerns about the number of STAs already existing, the effect on the long-term rental supply, and that the home’s elevated position posed privacy issues.
Council documents stated a property manager must be made available “if anti-social behaviour with onlooking” occured and there “was no evidence that refusing STA will result in the properties reverting to the long-term rental pool”.
Councillors voting in favour of the STA proposals were Mr Simpson, John Collins, Michelle Wright and Mayor Julie Hall.
Councillors voting against included Mr Bauman and Ms Clifford.
Councillor Mike Brunker was absent from the meeting.
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