2019-02-12 Attachment 1 to Item 7 - Short Term Accom Online Platform Issues Paper

4.2      Reduced Residential Liveability
Noosa residents have typically enjoyed quiet residential neighbourhoods, low traffic volumes in
residential areas, a coastal lifestyle and the benefits of a tourist destination via high quality café and
restaurant amenities, beaches, lifestyle infrastructure and active/recreation services.

As property owners leverage the online accommodation phenomenon, and exposure of these
opportunities to tourists and visitors rapidly increases, the high quality residential liveability of the
shire is arguably being reduced (in specific localities) by the infiltration of tourists into inner urban
residential areas.

Residential liveability is a multifaceted concept, and for the purposes of this paper, is considered to
be the benefit enjoyed from both the private external space which is part of the private home (private
residential amenity), and common areas of public space in close proximity to a private home, such
as the adjacent pavement, kerb, street parking and road reserve (public residential amenity).

Council considers the protection of the residential amenity of existing and future occupiers to be of
paramount importance. The need to address amenity is important as it is linked to the quality of life
and the wellbeing of residents.


4.2.1    Private Residential Amenity
Private residential amenity can reasonably be described as the benefit enjoyed from the internal and
external spaces of a private home and is highly valued in Noosa given the sub-tropical climate
allowing almost year-round outdoor activity. The level of enjoyment is dependent on a number of
factors, including the location, size, orientation, sounds, noise, accessibility and enclosure of the
private home. Private residential amenity is achieved through the allowance for individuals to carry
out typical household and leisure activities, such as gardening, drying clothes, playing with children,
dining, sleeping, working from home and so on, without interference.

Typically, residents within the low density inner urban areas and outer areas of the shire have
enjoyed a high level of private residential amenity. Land parcels are typically larger than average,
road and traffic accessibility is largely unimpeded outside of peak periods, land parcels are typically
fenced and ambient sound is appropriate with minimal noise during week days (with some spike in
ambient sound during the late afternoon and also on weekends). This can be interspersed with
occasional night time noise from a private party or celebration.

The increased utilisation of private homes in residential areas for short term rental accommodation
is arguably interfering with, and reducing the private residential amenity of Noosa’s residents due to
noise, loss of accessibility and loss of privacy.

A typical routine for a residential neighbourhood is that homes are fairly quiet throughout the week,
with an increase in ambient noise during late afternoon and on weekends as individuals are not at
work, children are home from school and families are more highly utilising private external space.

However, if a home within a residential neighbourhood is occupied for a short-term stay by tourists,
ambient noise is likely to be generated consistently regardless of the week or weekend day.
Accessibility can be affected due to increased vehicle usage on the street, with street parking also
impacted, particularly where multiple visitors co-occupy a short-term property. There may also be
higher ambient noise levels from daytime traffic that previously wasn’t occurring.




Short Term Accommodation - Online Platform Response Issues Paper                                  Page 11