2021-10-12 P&E Agenda - Item 2 - Attachment 6 - Cost Benefit Analysis

COST BENEFIT ASSESSMENT – PROPOSED LOCAL LAW AMENDMENT: SHORT STAY
LETTING & HOME HOSTED ACCOMMODATION


4.          ESTIMATED BENEFITS
4.1         ADVERSE EFFECTS THAT MAY BE ADDRESSED BY THE LOCAL LAW
The exact frequency and extent of disturbances on residential neighbourhoods within Noosa Shire from short stay
accommodation is unavailable, given there is no current mechanism by which issues and complaints are centrally
received and recorded.

Some residents have directly contacted Council to make complaints – with a total of 127 queries and complaints
regarding short stay accommodation received by Council in the past 12 months – however, Council currently has
very limited powers in dealing with such complaints. Other residents will have contacted the Queensland Police
Service in instances where noise and disturbance levels were excessive and outside of the confines of allowable
behaviour and potentially considered illegal and/or dangerous. Many residents would have refrained from making
complaints on the basis that they are aware of Council’s inability to deal with most issues and on the basis that
using the Queensland Police Service is likely to be a last resort where issues were considered extremely disturbing
or very serious. As such, they would generally sit silently ‘in suffering’ and not contact anyone.

As a consequence of the above, available information on actual disturbances is incomplete, under reported and
therefore not representative of actual disturbances on residential amenity. During the local law consultation
process, Council received 300 resident submissions, 2 resident petitions and 6 resident/community group
submissions highlighting the anguish of residents in having to cope with the adverse amenity effects of short stay
accommodation within residential neighbourhoods.

As part of the consultation process pertaining to the proposed local law, residents and community groups indicated
that short-term letting activity impacts residential amenity and the overall liveability of neighbourhoods. Adverse
impacts from short-term letting activity identified during the consultation process included:

•     Health and wellbeing.
•     Mental health.
•     Sleep deprivation.
•     Lesser lifestyle and enjoyment of home.
•     Loss of sense of community and neighbours.
•     Impact on work and school life.
•     Reduced safety and security.
•     Lack of complaint resolution.
•     Noise from activities such as parties, use of outdoor areas and use of pools.
•     Unacceptable guest behavior, including swearing and aggression.
•     Overcrowding and levels of occupancy.
•     Lack of vehicle parking, including the storage of boats and trailers.
•     Traffic congestion.
•     Inappropriate disposal and storage of rubbish.
•     Pets left unattended and causing noise disturbances.
•     Turnover of guests and noise disturbances during arrival and departure.
•     More regular use of services and trades (e.g., cleaning services) creating additional activity.

The above issues are not unique to Noosa Shire, with numerous studies having identified similar outcomes in other
jurisdictions and the issue of high levels of tourism activity filtering through to residential areas is a known issue of
concern for communities worldwide. A few recent examples include:

•     One of the findings of the Western Australian Government’s inquiry into short-stay accommodation was that
      “Short-term rentals can cause a range of amenity impacts in residential areas, such as parking, the creation



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