Greens Policy on Short Term Holiday Letting

The Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith MP has announced legislation for Short Term Holiday Letting that would empower local councils to regulate the industry whilst protecting the rights of owner-occupiers. Under the plan, each local council would have the power to determine its own conditions and restrictions on holiday lets, but with a caveat. Resident homeowners, who holiday let their whole homes for less than a prescribed number of days per year, would be exempt from the need to submit development applications.

Halt to over-development in Byron

Photo: Sean O'Shea Art

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith is calling for a 12-24 month halt on all new planning proposals for major developments as well as a pause on both the Butler Street bypass and the Transport NSW Bus station until the area’s infrastructure backlog is addressed and the community is properly consulted.

 “Like the Liberals did for the suburb of Ryde in 2018, I am calling for a pause on development applications in Byron for 12 - 24 months while we bring our infrastructure up to scratch,” said Ms Smith.

Another victory for Byron residents? - update

Media Release 11 February 2019

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith MP says while she welcomes the NSW government’s decision to moderate its one-size-fits-all holiday letting legislation to give local councils greater leeway, there are still a lot of questions to be answered.

“Now that I’ve heard the Minister for Planning’s comments this morning I have some serious concerns,” said Ms Smith.

Another victory for Byron residents - short term letting reversal

Media Release
11 February 2019

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith MP has welcomed the decision by the NSW Government to reverse its one-size-fits-all holiday letting legislation which allows short term rental accommodation for up to 365 days per year in regional areas.

“This is great news for residents of Byron Shire and for Byron Bay who have been so dramatically affected by the large numbers of whole houses available for short term letting for long periods of the year, forcing long term renters out of Byron,” said Ms Smith.

Alstonville/Wollongbar Blackspot Survey results

In September, Tamara Smith, Member for Ballina sent out a survey to more than 4,500 households in and around Alstonville and Wollongbar about the Ballina Road and Sneaths Road intersections with the Bruxner Highway.

More than 1,000 surveys were returned and found the majority of respondents felt unsafe or very unsafe at both intersections.