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

Council could be guided by the definitional approaches taken by other local councils. For example,
in financial year 2018/19, Sunshine Coast Council introduced a definition of Principal Place of
Residence into their revenue statement, excerpted as follows:

    A Principal Place of Residence is defined as a single dwelling house or dwelling unit that is
    the place of residence at which at least one natural person who constitutes the owner/s of the
    land predominantly resides, or a multi dwelling house or multi dwelling unit that is the place
    of residence where at least one owner is a pensioner who complies with the eligibility criteria
    contained in the Queensland Government’s Rate Subsidy Scheme resides. In establishing
    principal place of residence Council may consider, but not be limited to, the owner’s declared
    address for electoral, taxation, government social security or national health registration
    purposes, or any other form of evidence deemed acceptable by the council.

    Without limiting the above meaning the following cases do not comply with the definition of a
    principal place of residence namely a single dwelling house or a single dwelling unit or a multi
    dwelling house or a multi dwelling unit that is:

    (a)    not occupied by at least one person/s who constitutes the owner/s, but occupied by any
           other person/s, whether in return for rent or remuneration or not, including members of the
           owner’s family; or
    (b)    not occupied, whether permanently or temporarily (for more than 120 days of the financial
           year), including for the purposes of renovation or redevelopment, except in the case
           where;
           i.     place of residence for the purposes specified above and that the owner/s do not own
                  any other property which they claim to be their principal place of residence; and
           ii.    a property is vacant for a period longer than 120 continuous days of the financial
                  year due to the owner/s absence on an extended holiday, provided that the property
                  remains vacant for the entire period of their absence.
           iii.   a property is occupied by the owner/s less than 120 days of the financial year due
                  to the owner/s absence due to work commitments, provided that the absence is
                  confirmed by the employer and the property remains vacant or is occupied by
                  immediate family members only during the period of the owner’s absence.
           iv.    The owner is absent due to medical reasons of the owner or a close relative and this
                  is confirmed by a health professional.
    (c)    not owned by a natural person e.g. owned by a company, excepting where the ratepayer
           residing at the property as their principal place of residence is the company owner.
    (d)    dual occupancy or a secondary dwelling on a single lot whether or not the properties are
           attached, except where the dual occupancy or a secondary dwelling on a single lot is
           owned by an approved pensioner in receipt of the Queensland Government Pensioner
           Rate Subsidy.
    (e)    a property categorised as transitory accommodation.


8.4.2     Management of Party Houses
The Queensland State Government addressed the lawfulness of a residential dwelling being used
as a ‘party house’ through changes to the Sustainable Planning Act 2009, which were carried through
to the Planning Act 2016.




Short Term Accommodation - Online Platform Response Issues Paper                               Page 34