We Live Here - Our Newsletters , 2024We Live Here - Our Newsletters , 2024https://www.welivehere.net/newsletters/2024Wed, 05 Mar 2025 10:19:43 -0800http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[People Power!]]>https://www.welivehere.net/newsletters/post/202412

Short-stay laws passed in Victoria.
Your voice has been heard!

Happy New Year!



With the backing of Labor and the Greens, the Victorian Parliament has passed an amendment to the Owners Corporation Act, giving apartment owners the ability to vote on regulating short-stay letting within their buildings.


The owners corporation vote would require a 75% consensus—a high threshold that underscores the seriousness of the issue. If the short-stay platforms object to such a robust standard, it only highlights their disregard for community interests.


Local Councils have also been granted enhanced powers to enforce bylaws and address the worst excesses of short-stay platforms. 


The changes also mandate a registration system for operators and a levy on each booking. 


These changes are intended to target the harmful impacts of an industry that has disrupted both high-rise apartments and suburban neighbourhoods.


Restoring community control


This latest legislation is intended to restore community control, long after the ineffective 2018 amendment, widely derided as the "Party Bill". 


That 2018 bill failed dismally even in its very limited scope to protect residents from short-stay parties, resulting in zero court findings in favour of residents over the entire six years since its enactment.


The tourism industry is divided on the new 2024 laws. Short-stay platform operators are opposed while other industry figures welcome the changes, which may help 'level the playing field'.


While these latest changes are modest, they represent a significant step forward in improving community dynamics, social equity, and quality of life. 


This legislative win provides a strong foundation for continued advocacy to achieve even better laws, more consistent with the comprehensive regulations seen in other major jurisdictions worldwide.


A victory for persistent advocacy


This success in Victoria demonstrates the power of persistence and advocacy in achieving meaningful change. Engaging with political parties, stakeholders, and local government over several years has proven to be both challenging and rewarding.


A passionate resident campaigner from a bayside suburb celebrated this milestone, reflecting on the long journey:


“A councillor once tried to dissuade us, claiming the industry couldn’t be regulated. Thank goodness we ignored that advice. Many of our elected representatives forget that they work for us!”


“By speaking out, we changed the law for short-term accommodation. We reclaimed the rights of owners to decide whether short-stay operators can operate within their apartment buildings.”


Short-stay platforms' FAFO moment 

As the popular saying goes, Fool Around and Find Out. 


Some multinational short-stay platforms have brought this outcome upon themselves through their arrogance and insensitivity, including:

  • Tolerating bad operators;
  • Making it difficult for neighbours to report noise and antisocial behaviour;
  • Legally escaping GST on accommodation fees;
  • Lobbying intensively against even mild reform proposals.

Thank you!


"We Live Here" and local campaigners deeply appreciate everyone who contributed to this achievement, including those who lobbied members of parliament, councillors, Victoria Police, community newspapers that give us exposure, owners corporations who donated campaign funds, the Greens politicians who initiated the Bill and the Labor members who supported it. 

Thank you for recognising and addressing the anti-social, divisive, and life-altering challenges posed by short-term accommodation in high-density living environments.

This win is proof that collective action can lead to meaningful change. 


Let’s continue working together to protect our communities and push for stronger, more comprehensive reforms.

With gratitude,

Barbara Francis

Rus Littleson


Get Started Now
]]>Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:34:24 +1100<![CDATA[STUNNING NEWS!! ]]>https://www.welivehere.net/newsletters/post/202408

New Bill addresses key issues

The Greens and Labor parties in Victoria have announced a ground-breaking bill to regulate short-stay operations like Airbnb, empowering apartment owners to decide whether to allow short stays in their buildings. 


This long-overdue legislation will bring Victoria in line with global standards and address the concerns of apartment dwellers across the state.


For more than a decade, "We Live Here", a community advocacy group, has been championing these very policies. Our group has organised community forums, made submissions to inquiries, and lobbied politicians to highlight the impact of an unregulated short-stay industry on residents. 


Today, we are on the brink of seeing our efforts come to fruition.


The proposed bill includes three key policies that "We Live Here" has been recommending for many years. Apartment owners, through their Owners Corporation, will be enfranchised to vote on whether to restrict, prohibit, or regulate short-term letting in their building. 


If enacted, these measures could dramatically improve the lives of apartment dwellers across Victoria by providing greater oversight and control over short-stay practices.


"This bill is a significant step towards recognising the rights of residents," said Barbara Francis, spokesperson for "We Live Here". "For too long, successive state governments have ignored the issue. Now, Victoria has a chance to catch up with the rest of the world by implementing sensible regulations that will protect the interests of all Victorians. We are grateful to the Greens and Labor for listening to the community and showing their support for these important regulations." 


"This is a testament to the power of grassroots advocacy in shaping government policy. Community groups like ours play a crucial role in ensuring that governments are responsive to the needs and concerns of their citizens," said Rus Littleson, spokesperson for "We Live Here". 


Local Greens MP Ellen Sandell, who was instrumental in negotiating this outcome with the Labor Government and getting it over the line, issued this statement:


“The Greens today used our power in Victorian Parliament to negotiate this outcome on short-stay regulation. Initially the Government wanted something much weaker, but the Greens were able to use our votes to push for stronger owners corp powers and to allow limits on short-stays. I have been fighting for this for years and I’m so pleased we were able to finally get this outcome, so residents of our city can feel they live in a community not just an unregulated hotel. This will also free up homes for long-term renters and occupiers, helping to deal with the housing crisis.”


As the proposed bill moves forward, "We Live Here" remains committed to advocating for residents and ensuring that our voices are heard. The potential legislative overhaul represents a long-awaited victory for the residents of Victoria, affirming the importance of community-driven action in driving meaningful change.


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]]>Thu, 29 Aug 2024 09:02:00 +1000<![CDATA[2024.01 New Year, new hope?]]>https://www.welivehere.net/newsletters/post/202402

New Year, new hope?

Is 2024 a year to dream that the impossible might happen?

Shall we dare believe what We Live Here has been advocating for, since we launched in 2016, might become a reality?

Our reason for cautious hope is that Victoria has a new Premier and a new Minister for Consumer Affairs.

If these politicians are to do justice to their new roles, they must revisit the appallingly weak legislation on short-stays that was introduced into the Victorian Parliament in 2016 following the dismal failure of the so-called ‘Independent Panel’ on Short-Stays.

That panel failed to reach consensus after two lengthy sittings – unsurprisingly because litigious, industrial-scale short-stay operators were invited to be members of the ‘Independent Panel’!

By the time the legislation was introduced into parliament in 2016, Airbnb was already well embedded in the local body politic. In a cringeworthy photo op, the then Minister for Consumer Affairs was snapped shaking hands with the Airbnb Australian Manager on the steps of Parliament House.

Now, eight years on, this is the state of play:

·  a housing crisis of unprecedented severity

·  high-rise apartment buildings taking over the city skyline and neighbouring suburbs,

·  the toothless short-stay legislation yielding zero successes after more than 50 VCAT cases

·  Victoria continues to be regarded as the most penetrated city in the world.

This status quo is scarcely something the state government should be proud of.

To top it off, the parting gesture of the outgoing Premier was to declare a risible short-stay micro-levy, a self-proclaimed fundraiser.

The following case study demonstrates the deficiencies in the legislation that must be remedied ASAP.


St Kilda's nightmarish apartment block: a case study

Party house chaos unleashed: In the heart of St Kilda, a tranquil apartment block turned into a nightmare for new purchasers. Adjacent apartments, both owned by an absentee landlord, morphed into raucous party houses, disrupting the lives of neighbouring residents. For two and a half years, our new residents endured non-stop parties, with gatherings at all hours, several times a week, shattering the once-peaceful community.

Escalation of antisocial behaviour: The chaos extended beyond noise, featuring excessive music, public intoxication, strippers in common areas, and verbal abuse including sexual slurs. Police were frequently called to address these disturbances.

Legal battles and frustration: Residents took the absentee owner to VCAT and due to legal deficiencies, the case failed. Residents incurred a significant legal bill in their pursuit of justice.

Petition sparks council action: Residents initiated a petition, with enough signatories to obligate the City of Port Philip to review their policies. The focus is on challenging toothless legislation governing disruptive absentee landlords.

A demand for change: In their fight for a peaceful living environment, our new residents aim to see the existing legislation repealed, ensuring better protection against disruptive absentee landlords and safeguarding community well-being. More details on the council website at https://shorturl.at/exDK7

We Live Here totally supports these residents and reaffirm our long-standing commitment to seeing the worthless legislation repealed.

We will follow up in future columns.

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