GT Alliance queries impact of law for “tiny houses”

COMMUNITY group collective the Greater Torquay Alliance have expressed concerns about the possible negative impacts of “tiny houses” in the town made possible by revisions to the Surf Coast Shire’s Community Amenity Local Law.

Being reviewed for the first time in 10 years, the law covers topics including the use of nature strips and backyard fire pits, maintenance of building sites, storage of boats and caravans on council land, and smoking in public spaces.

Feedback via a survey closed last week, and the shire will produce a draft version of the new Community Amenity Local Law in
October.

In a post on their Facebook page ahead of the deadline, GT Alliance noted the survey expressed there has been increased demand for diverse accommodation options such as tiny houses – generally defined as a dwelling with no more than 37 square metres of floor area (not including the loft) – and the survey also suggested the Caravans or Tents as Temporary Accommodation Local Law could be adjusted to allow tiny houses on private land and extend the permitted time for longer than the existing 28 days.

“While we see the need for good policies on social/public housing and we acknowledge that tiny houses can be an affordable form of accommodation, we believe that the Camping and Temporary Accommodation amenity laws are not the right place for provisions to be made for tiny houses,” the Facebook post said.

GT Alliance wrote that tiny houses would not be subject to the planning and building regulations of conventional houses.

“Does that mean they won’t have adequate sanitary drainage? Where do they access electricity from? In residential areas, what happens with parking? Is there to be a limit on numbers of people that can live in a particular area? What effect will a significant number of tiny houses have on existing infrastructure – schools, road traffic, council services, etc?”

GT Alliance is also concerned that without regulation there could be a high density of tiny houses in a small area, which would have impacts on infrastructure, amenity and environment, and the “potential for this to be exploited and taken advantage of for profit at the expense of what we all value”.

The collective has called on the shire to set up a working party consisting of proponents, council planning and building officers, experts and community members that may be affected to consider all the issues and develop a shire-wide tiny houses policy.

“If done properly, the Surf Coast Shire council could be a model for other councils to follow.”