2021-12-13 GC Agenda - Item 8 -Attachment 1 - Housing Needs Assessment

While relocatable home parks were reasonably common in previous decades, offering a genuinely
affordable alternative to broader market rentals or home ownership, AHURI54 have commented on
the strong trend away from accommodating low-income renters in cabins or caravans with or without
annexes, and towards increasing reliable permanent owner-renters in comfortable manufactured
homes in which they own outright. Particularly they noted the gentrification of parks and villages,
when very low-income accommodation turned into manufactured housing estates for the over-50s
age group on low to medium incomes.
A relocatable home park would typically be governed by the Manufactured Homes (Residential
Parks) Act 2003. A residential park includes sites, common areas and facilities for the personal
comfort, convenience or enjoyment of the residents of the manufactured homes55. They should be
well located and offer convenient access to the services and facilities required to support residents.
State interest guidance material on housing supply and diversity56 suggests relocatable home parks
should be within easy walking distance to a regular public transport service, (2 to 3 services daily)
local convenience shops, enjoy bicycle and pedestrian paths and be within walking distance to a
primary school and local community facilities, medical facilities, and a park.
If however people jointly purchase land as tenants in common57 and each had separate bedsits
containing no food preparation facilities58 and no facilities for washing clothes they would not each
qualify as a self-contained house dwelling, but collectively might be one dwellings with a shared
kitchen and laundry, possibly other common space. Residents would need to form one household
with the intent of living together on a long-term basis, making common provision for food and other
essentials for living.
There are, within Noosa Shire and surrounding areas, companies that make prefabricated tiny
homes, cottages, cabins and granny flats and an increasing number of networks and associations.
Examples of tiny home projects in Queensland are difficult to find, however there are a number
interstate.


        Sunshine Coast charity and community centre, “The Shack” received a $500,000 federal
        government grant in 2019 and donated land in Nambour where they are building seven small
        units that will house five homeless men and a caretaker. The seventh house will be used as
        a common meeting space. This development was considered to be a community residence
        and required no planning approval.


        Byron Bay Council has proposed an amendment to the Byron Local Environmental Plan 2014
        to facilitate Tiny House Development on Council owned and or managed land for the
        provision of supported housing for people experiencing (or at risk of) homelessness.
        Council would provide moveable dwellings on Council owned and/or managed land. Rent
        would be paid by the tiny house occupier to Council (or a community housing provider acting
        on behalf of Council). Council could also choose to waive any rent payable depending on the


54 Goodman, R., Nelson, A., Dalton, T., Cigdem, M., Gabriel, M. and Jacobs, K. (2013) AHURI Final Report

No.210: The experience of marginal rental housing in Australia, Melbourne: Australian Housing and Urban
Research Institute.
55 This Act defines a manufactured home as a structure, other than a caravan or tent, that-

(a) has the character of a dwelling house; and
(b) is designed to be able to be moved from one position to another; and
(c) is not permanently attached to the land.
56 Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning (2017) State Planning Policy – state interest

guidance material: Housing supply and diversity
57 Tenants in common, own a defined share of the property for example 20% each. As a tenant in common,

you can transfer your share to someone else.
58 Facilities usually found in a motel room such as tea/coffee making equipment, electric jug and a bar fridge

would be allowed.


Noosa Housing Needs Assessment 2021                                                                 Page 101