In February 2023, Vincentia Matters formed a working group to focus on the impact of tourism on our local area.

 

Our initial priority is the impact of Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA). While this may seem rather narrow, it is the starting point for many of the things that concern local residents: everything from noise, overcrowding, garbage, roads and parking to the impact on long term rental housing availability and the extra pressure on our medical services.

 

To enable us to engage the relevant areas of Shoalhaven Council, we met on February 23, 2023 with Gordon Clark, Senior Manager Strategic Planning, and his colleagues Thelma Marr and Luke Freeman. It was a productive meeting, which demonstrated just how
limited Council is in its capacity to regulate STRA, as it is the State Government that holds the powers. Council officers can, however, access the STRA Register, although they can’t break down numbers within the LGA. Across the Shoalhaven, it appears that some 4,000-
4,500 properties are currently listed as holiday rentals.

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The State Government introduced new regulations for STRA in November 2021. 

 

We subsequently wrote to the four relevant State Ministers and to our local member on the topic of STRA and its impacts on the local community. This was followed up in June 2023 with a letter of support to Shoalhaven City Council  for Motion CL23.190 (page 7) commending Council for its efforts.

 

In the second half of the year we approached other residents’ groups in the Bay and Basin area to establish a forum to exchange experiences and views on tourism impacts on our localities, and to enable the formation of a strong, united voice to government. This group will hold its inaugural meeting in Q1 2024.

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Should you have concerns about issues relating to tourism in our area you can find relevant information and important contacts on our resources page regarding the following: