Shire of Augusta-Margaret River council deputy president Julia Meldrum airs concerns about holiday homes

The Shire of Augusta-Margaret River council is considering fast-tracking a planned review of where holiday homes are permitted across the region. At last week’s council meeting held in Augusta, deputy Shire president Julia Meldrum sought to kick off the detail review which was otherwise not anticipated until later next year. Cr Meldrum cited increased concerns about holiday homes, including unregistered stays, based in rural areas considered at high risk of potential bushfires. The bid was sparked by the latest WA Planning Commission review of its Planning For Bushfire-Prone Areas policy document. Rather than back the review, Cr Ian Earl called to defer the proposal for a more detailed examination of the need for it, and the costs involved, and colleagues Kylie Kennaugh, Brian Daniel, and David Binks backed him. Cr Meldrum’s proposal follows tightening concerns about holiday home numbers booming across the region, affecting the availability of homes for renters, as well as the knock-on effect on house prices. It also follows years of complaints about unruly guests affecting neighbours, though Cr Meldrum cited the priority agriculture and rural residential zones as her main focus. Meanwhile, similar concerns across the border have led to the City of Busselton council approving strict new regulations around holiday homes which Mayor Grant Henley said put Airbnbs and others on strict notice. Under the new bylaws, managerial oversight was increased, while night curfews and strict requirements around pets were all approved. “It certainly gives us a mechanism and a trigger to potentially deregister and to not re-register some businesses if they’re doing the wrong thing,” Cr Henley told the ABC. “There have been issues of a small number of operators of commercial holiday homes who haven’t behaved in a neighbourly manner. “It’s been built up over a number of years that they just get these repeat bad visitors who impact on the local community and the managers don’t seem to be taking seriously those concerns.” The push comes amid broader concerns WA Planning Minister Rita Saffioti may decide against Capes local governments when she puts her official response to a Parliamentary Inquiry to lawmakers later this year. Findings and consultation from the inquiry’s Levelling the Playing Field report into the short-stay sector insisted on a State-wide platform for holiday-home registration, but the Minister was also considering removing the need for planning approval for operators renting out homes for fewer than 60 days per year. That decision had the potential to undermine Augusta-Margaret River Shire planning laws restricting where short stays can be based, particularly endangering residential areas.