Byron Shire Council Mayor, Michael Lyon, has welcomed the release of the NSW Government’s discussion paper on short and long-term rental accommodation.
“Byron Shire Council has been very vocal and very active in calling for regulation of short-term rental accommodation (STRA) and it’s terrific to see the NSW Government is also looking at this as a potential way of improving housing availability across the state,” Mayor Lyon (pictured) said.
In September 2024, new regulations will apply across most of the Byron Shire, with a 60-day cap on un-hosted STRA in all areas except parts of Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads.
“Byron Shire is the only council in NSW that is approved to impose these restrictions which is an acknowledgement from the State Government of the impact of STRA in our community,” Mayor Lyon said.
“We have always maintained that limiting STRA will not solve our housing problem, but we expect we will see more properties available for long-term rentals as a result of the restrictions.
“Our Council has done the ‘heavy lifting’ in this area for several years as we have tried to find our own solutions to our accommodation crisis.
“The release of this discussion paper is a terrific opportunity for people in other parts of the State to let the NSW Government know what they think needs to happen in relation to easing the pressure on housing,” Mayor Lyon said.
The NSW Government’s discussion paper on short and long-term rental accommodation is on the Department of Planning website.
Submissions close on 14 March 2024.