An important clarification:
One of my campaign statements is that I am putting Residents first and supporting full implementation of the Noosa Plan and the Local Law with respect to short term accommodation, restricting future approvals in residential zones, and enforcing penalties for non-compliance.”
The SSL Local Law when introduced in 2021 exempted certain short stay let accommodation businesses as they were approved for visitor accommodation only (Noosa Lakes, Ivory Palms) or in case of the other resorts, eg Hastings Street precinct,because the resorts were identified by Noosa Council to be for tourist (short stay) letting only with no permanent tenants or resident accommodation. These exempted resorts are shown in the map.
In my consultation with the community, I’ve been made aware that all other purpose-built resorts, operating under the same business model and originally approved for residential and visitor accommodation are not exempt from the SSL Local Law. This is because Noosa Council’s argument has been that the SSL Local Law is required to protect resident amenity and therefore extends to residents or permanent tenants living in resorts. However, in resorts with an on-site manager, this is already, and has always been, provided by the Resort Manager.
It seems therefore an anomaly and discriminatory that premises that have long operated as tourism accommodation short stay letting resorts, with managers onsite and satisfying the requirements of the SSL Local law are now subject to the same regulations by Noosa Council as standalone properties offered for STA and dispersed in residential areas. More importantly, managed resorts without an exemption are paying the SSL registration fee and higher general transitory accommodation rates … applicable to STA properties since July 2021
Because of this, if elected, I will support exempting all units in managed resorts from the SSL local law and an unfair level of impost of the Transitory Accommodation rates category.
This approach is fair to short-term accommodation businesses , and will help better quantify the number of real “transitory accommodation” properties (Airbnb etc) versus managed resorts and stop distorting the number of actual STA’s being reported.