2022-11-14 GC Agenda - Item 4 - Attachment 1 - Short Term Accommodation Monitoring Report 2022

The Strategy accepted housing affordability as an issue in the coastal areas because of
competition with visitors, so identified Tewantin and Cooroy as areas for more affordable
housing stock. The Strategy was also concerned with the erosion of visitor accommodation
with residents living in resort style accommodation in the coastal area. The Strategy seemed
to accept the main coastal areas were not locations for permanent residents at an affordable
level, and interestingly that permanent residents depleted visitor accommodation stock and
left a negative impression on visitors where they resided in units, stating:
       There’s generally strong competition between holidaymakers and permanent residents
       where land in Noosaville, Noosa Heads and the Eastern Beaches is zoned for unit
       development. The occupation of visitor resorts by permanent residents has become
       very popular as it offers small, low maintenance units at a reasonable price within well-
       located complexes with recreational facilities such as swimming pools and tennis
       courts. It does however erode the local tourism industry and should be prevented if it
       leads to shortfalls in visitor accommodation. It generally also leads to conflicts between
       visitors and residents, leaving visitors with a negative impression.


2.7.2 Directions Paper – the New Noosa Plan 2016
The first stage in the preparation of the draft NP2020 was the development of the Directions
Paper (Paper) in 2016. Interestingly, the Paper did not identify any major concerns with short-
term accommodation of entire houses in residential zones at the time, suggesting the issues
had not fully emerged at the time of its preparation.
The Paper supported visitor accommodation and its importance to Noosa’s economy,
particularly the still emerging use of houses (at the time) for home hosted accommodation and
short-term accommodation using online booking platforms. However, the language used in the
Paper appeared to see short-term accommodation opportunities being mostly home hosted
styles of accommodation rather than entire houses, although this was not very clear.
The Paper recognised the conflict between residents and visitors in resort complexes as being
detrimental to onsite resort management businesses and identified the need to investigate
whether there was a need to identify areas for permanent living only. Potential conflict between
residents and visitors in detached housing areas was not discussed.
The key part of the Paper are outlined below:
       Current trends - Opportunities for short-term visitor accommodation are emerging
       within housing areas.
       Key Priorities
           •   Increase the range and diversity of housing choice.
           •   Increase opportunities to build small dwellings - 1 and 2 bedrooms.
           •   Investigate opportunities for increasing the range and mix of uses and densities
               around key transport nodes such as town centres.
       Theme – Housing choice
       The lack of available 1-2 bedroom housing has led some residents to seek housing in
       resorts and visitor accommodation. This has created competition, and in some cases
       conflict, between residents and short-term visitors for housing, particularly in larger
       resort complexes. This situation can also be detrimental to the viability of on-site
       manager businesses.
       Accommodation for visitors is important for the success of Noosa’s tourism economy.
       At peak tourist times visitor accommodation is often booked out.
       The take up of visitor accommodation by residents impacts on the supply of
       accommodation for tourists.


                                                                                          pg. 62
Noosa Council Monitoring Report 2022/23