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Parliamentary inquiry into short-stays

 

The long anticipated Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the Owners Corporation Amendment (Short-Stay Accommodation) Bill 2016 will start in March.

The inquiry is being conducted by the Environment and Planning Committee and its purpose is to: Undertake consultation with short-stay accommodation providers, individuals and owners' corporations about the contents of the Bill; Examine the impact of short-stay accommodation on residents and owners’ corporations of apartment buildings; and Examine the adequacy of owners’ corporation rules in managing the impact of short-stay accommodation.

The full terms of reference and the guide to making a submission can be found on the committee’s website at www.parliament.vic.gov.au/epc/inquiry/446, where you can also follow the progress of the inquiry. This is an opportunity not to be missed and we encourage all residents – owners and tenants – and others who have a story to tell, to make a submission. This is an open inquiry and all submissions will be accepted until February 28.

The committee is due to report back to Parliament on May 11, 2017. We need politicians from all sides of politics to sit up and take notice: That residents are not just concerned with unruly parties and bad behaviour as the Government seemed to think when introducing the Owners Corporation Amendment (Short-Stay Accommodation) Bill 2016.

Owners’ corporations already have the powers to deal with them! However concerns about unregulated short-stays taking over residential apartment buildings that are not properly designed and equipped for them, are being ignored; e.g. safety and security is being compromised; No compensation to owners’ corporations for increased wear and tear, particularly for the shortened life of a lift, estimated to be about five years; and Very many owners purchased apartments in the belief that it was to be their home, but establishing communities has become almost impossible because one’s neighbours come and go all the time. This is not the “sharing economy” we were led to believe but it is the “taking economy”.

There needs to be a level playing field and now we have the opportunity to do something about it.

Our homes and the future of our communities are at stake so we encourage as many of you as possible to become involved and HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

Council Find out what your elected City of Melbourne councillors are up to! Do you have a burning issue which you would like to put to a councillor in person, or would you like to contribute a submission on a topic being debated in council, or even just go and listen to the councillors discussing some of the major issues of the day?

If so have you thought about attending a council or committee meeting? Each month one council meeting and two Future Melbourne Committee meetings, involving all councillors, are held.

Members of the public are invited to attend both council and committee meetings and submissions on various topics can be made to both by following the relevant guidelines.

Questions without notice can also be put to councillors at committee meetings (but not at council meetings) with 15 minutes allowed at the beginning and end of each meeting.

You can find out more at www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/committees-meetings/Pages/getting-involved-meetings.aspx Finally, we welcome your comments and feedback and invite suggestions for topics you would like us to address in this column.

Like most not-for-profit organisations we operate on a shoe-string budget and donations from individuals and buildings are greatly appreciated.

Please send all correspondence to [email protected].

To register as a supporter of We Live Here or to make a donation please visit our website at www.welivehere.net

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