Petition: Residents Against Short Term Rental Approval (Raustra)

Frank Wilkie0:57

Okay. Thank you Madam Mayor. I have a petition from the community group Residents Against Short Term Rental Approval. Expressing concern that many aspects of the implementation of the Short Stay Letting Local Law. Among their requirements is that they would like council's priority to be protecting residents from the impacts of properties. Use for short-stay letting through timely, complete and well-managed implementation of the existing local law, including the commitment that when considering approval and registration of properties for short-stay letting, Council will always prioritise residents' needs and expectations. Are that investor and short-term accommodation management demands. They would like Council to take immediate positive steps including a deadline of June 30, 2024 for dwellings offered for short-stay to be registered. Forfeiture of short-stay opportunities for those owners who do not apply for registration by June 30, otherwise the local law is meaningless. Forfeiture registered should include properties that have not renewed registration but continue to operate, adequate staffing levels to achieve these objectives, an automatic review process by a senior Council officer of all STA approvals challenged by natives before approval is finalised, a three strikes you're out policy to deal with properties where complaints are consistently lodged and upheld, a hotline website that in real lists against property registrations. Time and date of complaints lodged and complaints settled, a review of the operation of the hotline overall, including the effectiveness of security services engaged to meet the local laws requirement of a 30-minute response at all times, total transparency data related to short stay, including real-time numbers on the Council website of all requests for approvals received, plus addresses of approvals and registrations granted of applications declined and showed cause notices issued, a review of the code of conduct, refreshing it to include council's declaration and principle restatement of key issues residential amenity including maximum of two persons per curfews, including pools and off-street parking, no more short-term approvals in medium and high-density residential zones as recommended, and short-stay renewals to include consideration of complaints, registered owner /manager response to them, with submissions /comments to be actively sought from neighbours. I ask that the petition with 16 signatures submitted by RAUSTRA, the question that Councillor. Counts to take these positive steps be received and referred to the Chief Executive Officer to determine the appropriate action.