Broome resort owner backs State Govt’s draft holiday rental policy as Airbnb fires broadside

A Broome resort owner is hopeful policy drafted by the State Government to crack down on short-term accommodation will help ease regional WA’s rental shortage, which has crippled businesses’ ability to lure staff to town. Released for public comment on Monday, the draft policy gives direction to local governments on managing short-term rental accommodation within their local planning framework. The policy is part of the State Government’s response to the 2019 Parliamentary inquiry into the sector, which made 10 recommendations to “level the playing field”. But Airbnb immediately criticised the plans, with the company’s Australia head of public policy Derek Nolan saying the proposals were among the most restrictive in the nation. “We have no doubt the WA Government wants to grow tourism and the local economy, but major elements of these proposed rules are likely to do the exact opposite” he said. “Hosts across WA will be rightly concerned about their livelihoods and the fact that these new rules allow councils to suddenly and unilaterally introduce extreme heavy restrictions on a whim. “Guests across WA will also be worried about the major blow their family budgets will cop next time they look to holiday within their own State, given the way this proposal would restrict affordable, family-friendly accommodation options.” Mr Nolan said a proposed 60-night cap on short-term letting would be “incredibly damaging” to hosts, guests and local businesses which benefited from guests. Habitat Resort owner Michael Leake said while short-term rentals played an important part in tourism, the lack of regulation affected both the residential rental market and traditional tourism providers. “I’m pretty happy with what the State Government have done,” he said. “If you look at what the Shire of Broome are implementing, I think it will work well hand-in-hand. “As for claims from the short-term accommodation industry that this will hurt local business, I think that’s just silly. “Every business in regional WA has already been hurting because of the lack of rentals for staff — Airbnb and the like have contributed to that shortage. and hopefully this will help ease that.” Mr Leake said he supported the State Government’s decision to leave a bulk of regulation to local governments. “Horses for courses,” he said. “The situation and planning laws in Broome are vastly different to others, say Margaret River. “A blanket Statewide solution is not the way forward. Local governments need to have the ability to tailor solutions to their communities.” The changes come just one week after the Shire of Broome moved to implement its own policy on the industry, which Shire president Harold Tracey said would help guide a previously unregulated industry. “Until now the hotels and tourism businesses around town have had to foot the bill for their industry, then some of these short-term accommodation providers are just taking profits and not having to contribute to the overall health of the industry,” he said. Key rules in State Govt short-stay draft policy However, the Shire’s pre-emptive move was criticised by industry leaders, including Mr Nolan, who said the policy would hurt the town’s economy. “Almost every retailer, cafe, restaurant, pub and tour operator in Broome will be negatively impacted by the council’s proposed rules, along with the people working in them,” he said. “Short-term rental hosts help bring valuable tourist dollars to Broome every year by offering a range of accommodation types that are family-friendly, affordable, and allow guests to stay and enjoy Broome and the Kimberley for longer stays.” Mr Nolan’s comments come after the release of a report, commissioned by the company, which found an overwhelming majority of West Aussies believed the accommodation option provided a more affordable means of exploring. The YouGov survey, commissioned by Airbnb, found almost 90 per cent of the 1006 WA respondents believed short-term rentals made holidaying more affordable. Some 70 per cent of respondents also said the style of accommodation encouraged them to visit places previously not considered — a trend especially strong among households with children. There are currently 82 Broome properties listed on Airbnb which offer the “entire house”, which is not allowed under current Shire planning laws. Planning Minister Rita Saffioti said the proposed policy would provide greater certainty to the tourism industry, accommodation providers and guests, and make sure property owners knew what was expected of them. “The draft position statement is now open for public comment and we are particularly interested to get the community’s thoughts on the proposed development approval exemptions for some forms of hosted and unhosted short-term rentals,” she said. Submissions can be made via the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage website until March 7, 2022.