Peter Gutwein’s attempt to shift Tasmania’s housing supply issues onto local government exposes the desperate measures the Liberals will go to avoid tackling Tasmania’s housing crisis.
The Premier said it was up to local councils to restrict short-term rental properties if they felt it would increase housing availability – despite local government not currently having the power to cap short stay visitor accommodation numbers.
Shadow Housing Minister, Alison Standen, said the Liberals had repeatedly ignored calls from Labor to tighten regulations on short stay accommodation.
“The Premier is looking to shift the blame to local government rather than respond to calls from Labor – backed by recommendations from two parliamentary inquiry reports over the past year – to tighten regulation on short stay visitor accommodation,” Ms Standen said.
“Councils would have to make an application to the Tasmanian Planning Commission to amend their local planning schedules, which is a complex and protracted process that could take years.
“Only the State Government has the power to act immediately on visitor accommodation by amending the Short Stay Accommodation Act 2019 to place caps, or freezes, on short stay permits.
“Addressing issues arising from the visitor accommodation sector must be a key part of developing a long-term, evidence-based strategy to deal with Tasmania’s housing crisis.
“Peter Gutwein’s attempt to shift Tasmania’s housing supply issues onto local government does nothing to assure Tasmanians that he is capable of managing Tasmania’s housing crisis.
“Only the government can act quickly to ensure the recent increase in housing availability is delivered to tenants in rental stress in the longer-term.
“The Liberals have been given recommendations from two parliamentary inquiry reports over the past year to deal with Tasmania’s housing crisis and they are currently stalling on releasing the latest data from short stay platform providers for the Jan-Mar 2020 period – it’s time they faced the facts about Tasmania’s housing crisis and finally got on with doing something about it.”
Alison Standen MP
Shadow Housing Minister
