City of Busselton welcomes Airbnb-style short-stay reforms but seeks further clarification on local controls

The City of Busselton has welcomed the State Government’s long-awaited changes to the short-stay sector which will see the local government retain its own planning controls. While Mayor Phill Cronin said some clarification was being sought to understand how Statewide registration for short-stay operators would work with the City’s own system, the overall outcome of the long-awaited review was positive. “The City has had its own registration system and requirement for development approval in place for over a decade,” he said. “It is pleasing to see that the proposed reforms recognise the important role short-term rental accommodation plays in the tourism accommodation sector in regional communities and is allowing for a localised approach.” Busselton and the Augusta-Margaret River shire were seeing relentless growth in Airbnb-style listings that the State Government announcement confirmed were a major factor in the region’s housing crisis. The Times previously reported concerns Planning Minister John Carey’s reforms could waive away the need for planning approvals for Airbnb-type rentals if in use for fewer than 90 days per year. While the announcement included that relaxation, the changes would now only be applied to metropolitan area. However, the City said it needed clarification on how its own stringent approval conditions would function under the State scheme. Those conditions included bans on unattended dogs at holiday homes, limitations on the number of guests, the name and number of the property manager to be displayed, and a timeframe of 12 hours to address complaints. Some industry figures lamented the slow timetable for the reforms’ roll-out, with a long-mooted Statewide registry for the short-stay market only opening midway through next year. The Planning Minister said the long-considered reforms sought to strike a balance between controls for the sector as well as concerns about supply for the rental market. “The planning approval process provides an opportunity for potential impacts of un-hosted short-term rental accommodation to be assessed, and management measures put in place,” Mr Carey said. “The new STRA planning reforms will provide local governments guidance on STRA land uses in their planning schemes and frameworks. “Our Government recognises that regional markets can vary significantly, and as such, require a localised response.” Premier Roger Cook said short-term rentals remained an important part of the State’s tourism, but the social consequences were also important. “It is impossible to ignore the impact this increasingly popular type of accommodation has had on some local neighbourhoods and communities,” he said. The reforms would “create a more level playing field” and a $10,000 incentive for short-stay owners to return homes to the rental market was included as a key measure. Commerce Minister Sue Ellery said the registration platform, once established, would provide a clearer picture of the short-stay sector across WA. Margaret River-Busselton Tourism Association chief executive Sharna Kearney also welcomed the reforms not interfering with existing controls. “This is good news for this region’s traditional accommodation providers, as we have two local governments which have robust policies in place,” she said. Augusta-Margaret River Shire president Julia Meldrum said the State outcome, detailed late last week, reflected actions her local government supported.