ABC AUSTRALIA: “COULD YOU LIVE ON $7 A DAY?”

Average share house rents in the inner suburbs leave people without enough money for food and other basics, new research shows. ”The analysis was based on Real Estate Institute of Australia data, using common indicators such as housing affordability and stress.”

Airbnb boasts we are their “most penetrated market in the world” (The Australian 02/06/16), with no current figures available to clarify the State Government’s claim that in 2014, NSW/ACT had already lost 216,000 homes to holiday rentals.

While acknowledging receipt of submissions to the recent ‘public consultation’ – applications closed last week – on the hundreds of Online Travel Agents demanding access to housing for tourist/visitor rentals, John Tansey, Executive Director, Better Regulation Division of NSW Fair Trading (COR-01849-2019) confirmed in writing today:

“The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) is…introducing a new state-wide planning framework to permit the use of residential premises for Short-Term Rental Accommodation.”

No explanation offered as to why the DPIE put everyone to the task of writing yet another ‘submission’ – perhaps simply to claim that ‘consultation’ had taken place? Could the Department of Planning’s Alison McLaren, who is a ‘Friend’ of Airbnb’s Brent Thomas, have informed her counterpart at Fair Trading that NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes plans to indeed circumvent all legislation covering Housing and Title?

Home Owners, Tenants, Essential Workers, those on New Start, accredited Accommodation Providers - indeed all those observing as parliamentarians and administrators in jurisdictions worldwide scramble to implement legislation akin to that currently in place here - apparently need know that their rights are to be ignored in favour of the commercial objectives of our State Government’s Destination NSW, plus Airbnb, Expedia, Booking.com, lastminute, wotif, et al.

Also today, Belle Humbert, Business Development Manager at Kitson Property in Wagga Wagga reached out to Airbnb Hosts in Australia, seeking advice on channelling rental stock to Airbnb. “Around 20/25% of the air bnb payout” is sought, which would most likely see most landlords strenuously encouraged to convert rental housing to Airbnb listings. ASTRA Board Member and fellow Real Estate Agent Joan Bird has been quick to offer guidance.

Like a scene from ‘Yes Minister’, Planning Minister Rob Stokes, in a SMH piece today , says Sydney needs “at least 725,000 new homes to meet demand by about 2030”. Those needing housing…get to the back of the queue!