Tuesday, 14 May 2024

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) presented a petition bearing 598 signatures:

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council that owners have a right to quiet enjoyment and safety in their own home. We need changes to the Owners Corporation Act 2006 in relation to short-term accommodation (STA) to protect owners and residents’ safety and well-being. Based on the increasing issues of STA properties, made available by Airbnb and other platforms, being used as unregulated party venues we are requesting that owners and residents should be granted the right to decide over their own building. Leading tourist destinations around the world and Australia, including New York City, Amsterdam, Paris, Florence, Mornington Shire, Byron Bay and many others, have already taken drastic steps to curb these issues, while Victoria still has the weakest laws in Australia when it comes to controlling STA. The current state laws are inadequate. Despite more than 50 cases against STA being heard since 2019, no hosts have been fined or suspended through VCAT under the current laws. The constant parties, antisocial behaviour, noise, and loss of amenities that residents are suffering from all over Victoria is taking up unnecessary resources in VCAT, local government and Victoria Police. A simple change to the Owners Corporation Act 2006 will free up a lot of government resources and improve residents’ well being and safety. Owners should not have to spend years in a slow VCAT system, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, while simultaneously suffering through noise and anti-social behaviour that impacts sleep and mental health on a weekly basis. Sections 159A to 159F of the Owners Corporation Act 2006 need to include a section allowing owners corporations the right to democratically limit or ban short-term rentals within their own building, taking back control over their own homes.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to amend the Owners Corporations Act 2006 to allow owners corporations to have the option to decide whether short-term accommodation is allowed in their building, including but not limited to all past, present and future short-term accommodation, made effective by a 75 per cent democratic vote by owners.