Local law now allows camping on residential land

KEY workers will be allowed to live in caravans or tents in backyards in the Surf Coast Shire for up to four months, under changes to a local law adopted by the council last week.

Whether tiny houses will be allowed or not is still unresolved, with the shire to review the issue next year.

The council has a legislative requirement to update the Community Amenity Local Law at least every 10 years, and began a review of the law, including consultation with the community about possible updates and changes, in March.

At their meeting on Tuesday last week, a majority of councillors resolved to adopt the Community Amenity Local Law 2021.

Perhaps the biggest change is permitting up to four adults, including at least one key worker, to stay in a caravan or a tent at a residential address for up to 120 days to help ease the shortage of affordable housing, particularly during busy summer periods.

Workers will need to provide the shire with written evidence of their employment, and their accommodation will need to meet the shire’s requirements.

Other changes include:

• Introducing a seven-day limit on storage of vehicles including caravans and trailers on public land
• Requiring land owner/occupiers to secure permits for placement of shipping or similar transport containers on their land
• Expanding the shire’s smoke-free areas to include within four metres of council-owned buildings, within the signposted boundary of a council event or within 10 metres of a sports ground
• Prohibiting collection of firewood from council land
• Requiring owners or people in charge of animals to have them in effective control on public land, and
• The addition of recreational fire pits alongside constructed outdoor fireplaces and braziers as not requiring permits for use.

Although the shire’s community consultation asked questions about tiny houses, there are no corresponding changes to the local law, but councillors resolved that they recognised “community interest and a diversity of views on the issues surrounding tiny houses” and would “undertake to carry out a review in 2022 to determine if amendments are required”.

The council has also committed to start a targeted review of the Community Amenity Local Law in 2022 to consider issues relating to burning off to determine if further amendments are required.

The changes to the Community Amenity Local Law came into effect on December 8, a few days before the previous version was set to expire on Tuesday this week.

“The Community Amenity Local Law helps to preserve our community order, safety, public assets and environment, with a clear framework of rules across a broad spectrum of topics,” shire mayor Libby Stapleton said.

“This review has allowed us to make some updates and adjustments reflecting our changing community expectations and needs.

“Importantly it has been shaped by our community.

“We received feedback from 583 community members during our consultation across July and August, including 12 submissions, and we thank everyone for their valued input.”

Cr Paul Barker was the only one of the eight councillors present to vote against adopting the new local law.

He said the vast majority of the document was “sound” but believed some of the new rules, such as glass-free areas and collection of firewood, would be very difficult if not impossible to enforce.