Residents angry as short-stay neighbour wins support

An application for a holiday home has been recommended for approval despite strong neighbourhood opposition.

These were the Noosa Council 2019 approved plans for the Hill St duplex in Sunshine Beach.

Strong neighbourhood opposition has not deterred Noosa Council's planning department from recommending approval of a short-stay development application.

Barry and Jennifer O'Malley want to let out their newly-built Hill St duplex in Sunshine Beach.

Their application to do so has drawn 12 objections with claim including it would add to Noosa's rental housing crisis, impact local amenity and devalue property prices.

Residents pleased council holds nerve on short stay rentals

Party house uproar as council say residents the noisy ones

The O'Malleys have engaged Noosaville business Team BnB Australia to manage the duplex if the material change of use application is approved by councillors at next Thursday's ordinary meeting.

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.

She said her staff lived locally and would always be available to be contacted including after hours.

The Sunshine Coast Daily has also requested comment from the O'Malleys, who are yet to respond.

Council planning co-ordinator Patrick Murphy has recommended rental restrictions be part of the approval conditions.

While conceding local amenity and rental prices could be impacted by short-stay rentals, Mr Murphy said the short-stay use was consistent with the area's medium density residential zoning.

Noosa Council's planning report on a Sunshine Beach Hill St duplex application for short-stays shows similar sorts of rentals nearby.

"The requirement for a development application for short term accommodation provides the opportunity to regulate the use of the site so as to mitigate these potential impacts," Mr Murphy said.

"Once the local law has been adopted by council, the owners will need to apply each year to continue to operate short-term accommodation at the property.

"If three or more offences against the local law have been recorded against the property, the approval to operate the short accommodation will not be renewed," he said.

Mr Murphy said the unit location at the corner of an intersection with wide road verges provided significant separation from surrounding homes to the north and east.

 

FOUR OBJECTORS:

1. Peter O'Neill said he has been subjected to "outrageous party house occupations" over the past two years in Sunshine Beach's Weyba St.

"Residential housing should refer to like-minded long term residents, not holiday makers happy to enjoy our local amenities and move on after 10, five or even less days," Mr O'Neill said.

2. Bruce McLean, of Weyba St, said permanent residents should be protected from influxes of short-term visitors.

"It is patently clear that this proposed increase of short-term accommodation in this area will experience diminished residential amenity," Mr McLean said.

3. Julia Craddock's Wildflower St property neighbours the duplex.

"It is clearly impractical and unrealistic to believe that having house rules and a contact for complaints number will be sufficient to deter paying guests from using the pool and outdoor entertainment areas at night," Ms Craddock said.

4. Dianne Cross said Noosa was in desperate need of permanent affordable rentals not more short-stays.

"I really don't know where you expect all the workers to live," she told the council.

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