Calls for State to take action on Airbnb controls threatens the City of Busselton’s local planning controls

Latest figures show the number of holiday homes in Busselton has almost doubled over the past decade, as the State planning minister prepares to release an action plan for short stay accommodation. Planning Minister John Carey is expected to soon announce a raft of measures following a three-year review into how online short stay platforms like Airbnb and Stays are disrupting local economies. In the 10 years between 2014 and 2023, the number of registered holiday homes in the City of Busselton went from 537 to 1042 — an increase of 94 per cent.Since 2014 Local governments and industry watchers were eagerly awaiting Mr Carey’s announcement, after minutes from a May 31 WA Planning Commission meeting examining the issue were redacted. The confidential notice was the clearest indicator yet the State Government would finally deliver on a suite of reforms that has divided stakeholders and kept the industry in limbo since 2021. Amongst those actions is the possible cap on short-stay applications for operators hosting guests for fewer than 90 days per year, this threatens the City of Busseltons and Shire of Augusta-Margaret River’s current local planning controls. Mr Carey was also expected to announce firm details on a Statewide registry for operators listing stays online, which was one of the leading recommendations from the Levelling the Playing Field report produced after a three-year parliamentary inquiry into the sector which concluded two years ago. However, a spokesperson for the Minister – who took over from elevated Deputy Premier and now-Treasurer Rita Saffioti during Premier Roger Cook’s Cabinet reshuffle — was scant on forthcoming details. “Work continues to progress by Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety towards the establishment of a Statewide registration scheme and Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage is finalising the Planning for Tourism Position Statement and associated guidelines based on the community consultation and stakeholder feedback,” they said. WA Planning Commission declined to provide the confidential minutes from the May 31 meeting or any timeline for the Minister’s pending announcement.