planningapplicationApr23

To Noosa Council
We are writing to lodge an objection to the following planning application:

Application reference: MCU23/0019
2a Woongar Street
Boreen Point
Material change of use to short-stay accommodation at Boreen Point Lot 16 Plan RP 112348.

Our objection to this application is based on an adverse impact on the residential amenity of nearby residents, risk of wildfire and impact on the environment.

Short-stay accommodation is having a significant impact on the amenity of residential life worldwide. The Noosa Council recognised this issue and amended the Noosa Town Plan and bylaws following significant consultation. Permanent residents of Boreen Point have experienced the negative impact of short-stay accommodation in recent years and whilst it is a necessary form of accommodation in our shire, the location and impact of additional short-stay accommodation requires careful consideration. Thank you for this opportunity to lodge our concerns.

Impact on amenity to residents of Boreen Point

Boreen Point has changed considerably in the last twenty years. Once this small town had only a handful of permanent residents with the majority of houses being family holiday houses some of which were available for rent. Increasingly, the population of Boreen Point has shifted to permanent residences. In the section of Woongar Street from Orchid Avenue to Lake Flat Road there are 55 residences of which 43 are permanent residences (some are long-term rentals). Of the twelve or so non-permanents, the majority are holiday homes for families who have been visiting Boreen Point for many years and are also known to residents and are respectful of the community.

All but three of the 43 permanent residences in Woongar Street are inhabited by people over 55 years of age. This is typical of Boreen Point. We have an ageing demographic in our village. It is a small community of people who choose to live here for the peace and quiet and security of living in a small close-knit community.

Short- stay residences bring strangers to live amongst us all through the school holidays and every week- end for month after month, especially in the warmer weather. Recent experiences with one short-stay accommodation in our street has shown that:
many holidaymakers either do not understand, or care that they are making excessive noise with parties, yelling, loud music and screaming children and parents,
lights remain on all night, and
barking and aggressive dogs are brought to the property.

The property at 2a Woongar Street is not a small cabin for couples. It is a large 5 bedroom home that will attract large groups of visitors looking to have a great time. There is ample space for people to bring extra vans and tents, despite house rules, without anyone knowing until they are all in place and we hear the noise and/or see the damage once they depart.

The residents of Woongar Street from Vista Street to Lake Flat Road and others nearby have the potential to be severely impacted upon by the noise from this property.  There is very little ambient noise in Boreen Point especially at night. It is a tranquil location. This means that noise travels easily in Boreen. The situation is probably exaggerated by the fact that the properties in Woongar Street front onto a large expanse of water that allows noise to travel. The permanent residents are very aware of this situation and we are all very respectful. This is a very small community and we do actually all know each other! People live in Boreen Point because they desire a quiet environment.

It is extremely stressful to live with the uncertainty that short-stay residences bring to our community. As a permanent resident you never know who these people are and how they will behave.  If it was a small cabin for couples there would be low risk of problems but this house is likely to attract very large groups. We are an older population in Boreen Point. Problems with “party houses” typically occur at night when the closest available police are usually from Maroochydore.

Fire Risk
Unattended braziers and campfires, and fires not extinguished properly once guests have departed the property is a serious concern for Boreen Point residents.  Holidaymakers are highly likely to have fires in the outdoor area by the lake. The fire hydrants in Boreen Point have been decommissioned, and we do not have a town water supply. Residents' lives and homes are at serious risk if any sort of fire advances from the lake shore up the ridge into Woongar Street, which is a heavily treed area.

Assurances from the owners that holidaymakers will be prohibited from having fires is not sufficient reassurance. The property is not visible from other properties so fire pits and campfires could easily go unnoticed. Ensuring any coals from campfires are correctly extinguished and disposed of as they are in the local campgrounds is not likely to be on the list of duties for a short-stay house cleaner who may not visit the property until long after guests have departed.

Compliance with House Rules
Compliance with any house rules for the property will be very difficult to monitor. The house on 2a Woongar Street is tucked away behind bushland. It is not visible to other residents as are the other short-stay houses in Boreen Point. There will be no way of knowing if there are excessive cars, extra vans and tents, or large numbers of people at the property until we hear the noise. Fire pits, bonfires and braziers will not be seen.

People staying in the house at 2a Woongar Street could easily get the impression that they are very isolated and can make as much noise as they like, especially if they enter the property from Lake Flat Road without driving into the village. It may not be obvious to a visitor that the property shares a boundary with a quiet residential community and that many houses along Woongar Street will be impacted by excessive noise.

Sadly, many visitors to our village display a “rules don’t apply here” attitude because of the isolation of the village and the lack of nearby police and Council staff. A large short-stay house that sleeps 10 and possibly more people will attract large groups into an environment that is difficult to monitor. This is a high risk for our community.

As residents of Boreen Point we see occurrences daily of behaviour that would be rare in Hastings Street or Gympie Terrace because visitors know they will get away with it at Boreen Point. Some ongoing problems for our village are:
Illegal overnight camping by the foreshore mostly in cars and vans,
boats left long term on beaches,
people living on boats illegally for several months hidden in the reeds near the boat ramp with no suitable waste disposal on their boats,
public urination at the boat ramp despite the public toilets being 100 m away,
jet skis launched at the boat ramp next to a sign that says “Jet Skis Prohibited. Penalties Apply”
excessive speeding throughout the village. Some of our streets have 20 km speed limits.

These behaviours show a lack of respect for the environment and the residents of this village.

Impact on the Environment

The area of land at 2a Woongar St is of important environmental significance. This property has been identified as prime habitat for the Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) which is listed as endangered by the Queensland Government under Nature Conservation Act 1992 and by the Australian Government under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The property is also zoned as a high risk area for some endangered, vulnerable or near threatened native plants.  Allowing short-stay accommodation on this land with the likely number of people staying in this large house will have an adverse impact on the important flora and fauna of the wetland. Domestic pets, collecting fire wood, increased traffic of people, cars, boats and other watercraft on the foreshore will damage the vegetation and have a negative impact on the wildlife.

Availability of Short-Stay Accomodation/Need for Long Term Rental Accommodation

Boreen Point is well catered for in terms of the range and number of short -stay accommodation available. There is a motel, accommodation at the Apollonian Hotel, approximately 10 short-stay houses. There is almost one short-stay house per street in this village. There are two large camping grounds, one of which has cabins and glamping tents, in addition to standard camp sites. Given the small size of this village, the supply would seem adequate if we are to maintain the quiet residential nature of the village.

Noosa Shire is currently experiencing a serious lack of long-term rental properties. Local businesses are struggling to secure staff because people cannot find a place to live in the shire. Families are leaving the shire. Surely a better outcome for this local community and the shire is to approve the property for long-term rental not short-stay. This property would be a wonderful home for one of the many families struggling to find a place to live. The school bus comes to Boreen Point and it is a lovely location to raise children.

Conclusion
The addition of one more short-stay house to Boreen Point would not be dire, but the combination of a number of factors make this property a poor choice for a short-stay accommodation; the large size of the house and land package and size of potential groups letting the property; the lack of visibility of the property; the significant fire risk associated with fires on this property; the environmental importance of the land, and the potential impact on our small community by excessive noise.

We respectfully request this application not be approved and that if the property is to be rented it is let on a long-term basis which is surely what the shire needs.

Thank you for consideration of this matter.

Kind Regards,
Judith and Guy Stokker
Residents: 52 Woongar Street Boreen Point
0423 841406

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