Submission - David & Kim Gotterson - MCU200097.msg

Subject: Application Reference: MCU20/0097 Material Change of Use Short Term Accommodation OBJECTION lodged by David and Kim Gotterson Nov 23, 2020
From: David Gotterson
Date: 2020-11-23T01:39:03+00:00
To: Mailbox Council Mail

Good morning,

In accordance with Proposed Development Have Your Say, we wish to lodge an objection to the application MCU20/0097 for a Material Change of Use to allow Short Term Accommodation at 1/27 Hill Street, Sunshine Beach Lot 1 on SP314729.

We, David and Kim Gotterson of 13 Weyba Street, Sunshine Beach, have owned a house at this address since 2006 and intend to reside here for the full period of our retirement commencing in 2019. We object to this application for short term accommodation on all of the following grounds.

1) Material change to Residential amenity of this area.
The streets in this immediate area have a distinct residential character and amenity. We intentionally bought in Weyba Street in 2006, just up from the proposed Change of Use address, because of its family residential nature. There are almost no units in the area and almost all houses are owner occupied or operating on long term rentals. The exception to this is of course the direct waterfront streets. Short term accommodation will irrevocably change this residential characteristic as it will bring regular tenant change overs and understandable short term tenant lack of concern for the residential amenity.

2) Likely consequences of Short Term Accommodation.
Clearly its difficult to generalize but simply as a matter of increased tenant turnover, the short term nature of the stays, and differing motivations between long term residents and short term tenants, it is likely that problems will occur with respect to on street parking from visitors to short term tenants, noise abatement and a less concerned community attitude of short term tenants. We understand that these issues have been anticipated in the new legislation but we have also had direct experience with these problems, despite the regulations.

3) The floodgate argument.
There have been no other visible Material Change of Use Short Term Accommodation applications in this area. If this is approved, then a precedent will be set and the change to the residential nature of these streets will be authorised, legitimate and almost irrevocable. In future, it will then be very difficult to object to other applications by claiming a change in the residential character of the area as this residential character will have already been lost.

4) Conflicting Motivations of the applicants and long term residents.
The applicants in this proposal bought the property knowing that 'as of right' rentals were restricted to long term rentals. They now seek a material change of use to allow the more profitable short term accommodation. Clearly they do not intend to live in the property but rather intend to boost their financial return through gaining approval for short term accommodation. As non residents they will not experience any consequences of their quest for financial gain. Surely it is wrong to put the needs of these non resident owners, motivated solely by financial gain, above the needs of long term residents, who have paid rates and contributed to the residential character of the area through their occupancy and community support.

For all of these reasons we strongly object to this application for Material Change of Use to Short Term Accommodation at 1/27 Hill Street, Sunshine Beach, Queensland. We have included our contact details below:

David Alan Gotterson. 13 Weyba Street, Sunshine Beach. 0450 308 512. [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
Kim Gotterson. 13 Weyba Street, Sunshine Beach.  0450 234 918.  [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>

Sincerely,

David and Kim Gotterson.