Friday, 22 October, 2021
There’s only one
NOOSA 12518305-BL43-21
and only one ...
Home kitchen lessons well learnt
Property hits new highs
Noosaville girl hears again
48-page Liftout Property Guide
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INSIDE
PR OP ER TY
Let’s Tri again in Noosa It’s full steam ahead for the Noosa Triathlon with 6000 athletes and 4000 festival event attendees booked in to the world’s best triathlon which kicks off next Wednesday 27 October with the Noosa Run Swim Run on Main Beach and ends with the main event on Sunday. Regional director of organising group, The Ironman Group Oceania, Rob Stalling said construction began Monday for the Expo and check in area in Noosa Woods with this year’s event layout to be similar to previous years, and with extra spacing allowed to meet Covid-safe requirements. Rob said with the loss of NSW and Victorian athletes, who were unable
to attend due to Covid, numbers were down about 3000 on the last Tri in 2019 but there had been a lot of interest from Queensland athletes who may not have made it in the past or been training during Covid. “We have a good list of Queensland athletes coming,” he said. “There are former Olympians, former triathletes. Noosa attracts them all.” Rob said in line with Covid practices check in times and bike drops off had been staggered this year, mask wearing was encouraged and the latest health advice was being monitored.The Noosa Triathlon Festival Events offer a mix of events with wide appeal. Continued page 42
Athletes on their way to the 2021 Noosa Tri.
Picture: ROB MACCOLL
Short-stay control By Margie Maccoll
12497020-DL22-21
The path is set for Noosa Council, the first council in Queensland, to enact a Short-stay Letting Local Law to take effect next February after an almost unanimous vote in its favour at Council’s General Meeting on Monday. Only councillor Amelia Lorentson voted against the local law that councillors look destined to ratify at their Ordinary Meeting Thursday night. Cr Lorentson said while she supported the regulation of the short term accommodation (STA) industry she believed council had “gone too far”. She identified three key issues of noise, bad behaviour and irresponsible management as those needing to be managed. “How did we get to this - site plans, floor
plans, $10 million public liability insurance, approvals, renewal fees, fines for not keeping records, fines for clapping, cheering or singing,” she asked. “What’s in front of us is another layer of restrictions and controls. It’s simply too much.” She called on councillors to pull back on the law to ensure Noosa didn’t look like the grand “nanny council in the nanny state of Queensland”. Cr Lorentson described the local law as unfair, discriminatory and an additional financial burden for property owners that may lead to a reduced accommodation stock in a shire with an economy dependent on tourism. And she said the local law may be subject to legal challenge on the basis it goes beyond council’s powers and its anti-competition provisions. Deputy Mayor Frank Wilkie said it would not
be surprising that some STA owners would fight against the local law but the community had been crying out for something to be done. This local law requires nothing more than is required by existing accommodation owners to make their property safe for guests and not disturb neighbours and other guests, he said. Cr Wilkie said the local law would be beneficial to about 10,600 residential properties and an estimated 26,500 residents within them and the benefits on health and amenity have been estimated at $9.56 million. This is about a balance of competing interests. We have to have confidence in the staff doing their work correctly and that our legal advice is sound, he said. Mayor Clare Stewart said the Short-Stay Letting Local Law aimed at managing the impact of short-stay properties on residential amenity
and would also protect guests by introducing minimum safety standards property owners will need to meet. “This Local Law gives us a practical tool over and above the planning scheme - to ensure short-stay property owners are being good neighbours and dealing with issues as they arise,” she said. Council estimates 86 per cent of Noosa’s short-stay accommodation operators are based outside of Noosa Shire with 51 per cent of those outside of Queensland. “With the state shelving its plans for a statewide framework and our community calling out for controls on the use of residential properties for short-stay accommodation, we must act,” Cr Stewart said. Continued page 7