Photo Eve Jeffery
Byron Bay resident, Catherine Henniker, told The Echo she lives in one of the parts of the town that has been deemed ‘365 nights for short-term holiday lets’, under new state government rules to be introduced in September.
She told The Echo she and fellow residents of the Butler Street precinct are ‘extremely unhappy about the discriminatory decision by state government’.
Council’s proposal for a precinct model for Short Term Rental Accommodation (STRA, or holiday letting) was supported by the NSW government last year. Areas earmarked for uncapped letting include Wategos, Belongil, and parts of Jonson Street and Butler Street.
Eviction notice
‘Fortunately, some of our councillors are supportive of our situation. It is basically an eviction notice being served on many people, most of whom have neither means nor the wherewithal to move. This applies to all existing residents, but particularly to the older members of our precinct.
‘Previously, this precinct was a partial dormitory for young overseas workers, who now no longer can obtain rentals at a reasonable price’.
Other residents, Barbara and her daughter, live next to an ‘Airbnb party house’.
She told The Echo that until recently, it was advertised as the best place for a ‘bucks and hens night’.
‘Consequently, there is constant noise from this property all night, often until 4 or 5am’. She said this continual party noise from next door leaves her in a compromised position, as she cannot get enough sleep.
She said she approached the owner of the Airbnb, ‘but he was not interested in our concerns’.
‘I’ve always asked politely for the noise to be turned down, and while they agree and are amenable, the noise increases again after a while’.
She said one party there was shut down.
After the second complaint, there is a fine, and the third complaint can lead to the partygoers losing their bond and being evicted.
Catherine adds, ‘We just want the community to be aware of our plight and hopefully join us to get the Butler Street precinct removed from the STRA map’.
‘We would like an equitable outcome for all members of our community’, she adds.
The Echo asked Council staff whether residents have a chance of being removed from the mapping.
Council’s media spokesperson replied, ‘The changes relating to short-term holiday letting come into effect in September, with this time frame set by the NSW government. Council has been working on limiting STRA in parts of the Shire for a number of years and extensive consultation has been done as part of this process.
‘Noise complaints should be made to Council and they will be investigated, however if they are happening at night, people should call the police’.
NSW MP, Tamara Smith (Greens), told The Echo, ‘In my submission to both the IPC and the STRA draft planning control public exhibition back in 2020, I said we should have 90 days for the whole of Byron Shire’.
STRA review
A NSW department of planning review on the short-term rental accommodation industry is now underway for the state, with public submissions ending on March 14.
Ms Smith is calling on renters and homeowners in the electorate ‘to give the government their holiday-letting horror stories’.
To make a submission to the NSW government Discussion paper on short and long-term rental accommodation.
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