Shire to trial tiny houses for three years

TINY homes could soon be popping up in backyards across the Surf Coast Shire, after the council agreed to a three-year pilot of the concept in the municipality.

There has been some community interest in tiny homes, also known as tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), and the shire has been considering the issue since late last year as one way to locally address the affordabity housing crisis.

At their December 12 meeting, a majority of councillors endorsed the start of the THOW pilot, which began the day after the meeting (December 13) and will run until December 13, 2026.

The council also agreed to waive the fee for all permits issued under the Community Amenity Local Law 2021 for THOWs for the duration of the pilot.

Under the terms of the pilot, THOWs – generally defined as a dwelling with no more than 37sqm of floor area (not including a loft) – are required to be on a wheeled trailer base and placed on privately-owned land, subject to an agreement between the applicant and land owner.

Assessment criteria include legal compliance, environmental impacts, amenity, access, waste management, connection to services and utilities, and safety.

The tiny home must not be located in a Flooding Overlay or Bushfire Management Overlay, unless within a township boundary.

“Issues surrounding the regulation of tiny houses on wheels are complex and largely uncharted in Victoria,” shire mayor Liz Pattison said after the meeting.

“The pilot will enable us to assess the impacts of tiny houses on wheels and monitor and evaluate the contribution they could make as a safe and legal way to provide affordable and diverse housing options.

“It’s important to note that the pilot focuses entirely on possibilities for affordable housing and key worker accommodation, and does not permit the tiny houses on wheels for short-term leisure-style accommodation.”

The shire will consult directly with participants and neighbouring properties during the pilot, to help develop processes and policies to potentially regulate THOWs in the future.

“We know that protecting the character of the places we call home is vital for community members, as is protecting amenity, which is addressed through minimum setbacks,” Cr Pattison said.

“We’re among the first councils in Australia to endorse a tiny houses pilot, and we’re proud to be proactive in this space to provide key workers with a potential accommodation solution.”

Cr Heather Wellington was the lone vote against the motion.

“It’s true there’s a shortage of accommodation on the Surf Coast but whether the answer is tiny homes, it’s not really clear to me. The council itself is not a housing authority,” she said. “I don’t object to a pilot, per se, but I’m concerned that there’s a lot of uncertainty for me in the design of this pilot.”

For more information, head to surfcoast.vic.gov.au/Community/Housing/Tiny-Houses-on-Wheels-Pilot/Tiny-Houses-on-Wheels-Pilot