Fears Methven Will Be ‘Overun' With Airbnbs
A Methven resident fears an epidemic of Airbnb owners flouting the rules and over-running residential areas.
Paul Dixey is calling on the council to act before it gets out of hand in the Canterbury town.
Methven, just over an hour's drive from Christchurch, is popular with skiers and holiday makers.
Dixey said three of the 15 properties in his new subdivision are being listed for rental accommodation.
"The industry needs better regulation.
"If they don't act, I fear it will become epidemic and then how will they stop it?"
Dixey said it doesn't seem right that properties are paying residential rates to the council but are operating as a commercial property.
"It needs to be addressed when the hotels down the road are paying through the nose to be commercial accommodation operators."
The growth of holiday rentals has sparked concerns across the country, with councils considering how to regulate the industry.
There are about 290 Airbnb rentals listed in Mid Canterbury.
Ashburton District Council compliance and development group manager Ian Hyde said the council is considering how to handle the increase and impact of the short-term rentals.
"Council staff are looking at all these issues currently and have been reviewing work done by other councils.
"There is a workshop planned with councillors this month on the wider subject of Airbnbs in our district."
Hyde said the district plan allows for visitor accommodation as a permitted activity for up to five guests.
"If a property was advertising for more than that, they would need to stop or get a resource consent to operate.
The council doesn't comment on specific enforcement complaints, but investigate where non-compliances are found.
"Sometimes people make an application once they realise that what they are doing requires consent.
"Council has the power to enforce the rules of the District Plan under the Resource Management Act, this can include fines, and where appropriate through the Courts. However, we prefer to work with people to address issues where we can."
Dixey said he felt the rules hadn't been enforced so far.
"We have no objection to them taking five [guests], but one has been advertising up to 12."
He said the majority of groups are fine but you can get "that one group that they have no control over".
The rental owners are not onsite so do not know how many people turn up and can mot monitor behaviour, he said.
One property owner has applied for a retrospective land use consent to carry out visitor accommodation for up to 11 people.
The consent document states the house would only be available for 90 nights a year.
Dixie said it could set a dangerous precedent that could result in residential areas being overrun by temporary accommodation, he said.
"What's to stop every house on the street applying for consent to be an Airbnb.
"You might as well turn the whole place into a commercial accommodation area as the zoning rules aren't worth the paper they are printed on."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
7 hours ago
- Scoop
Fears Methven Will Be ‘Overun' With Airbnbs
A Methven resident fears an epidemic of Airbnb owners flouting the rules and over-running residential areas. Paul Dixey is calling on the council to act before it gets out of hand in the Canterbury town. Methven, just over an hour's drive from Christchurch, is popular with skiers and holiday makers. Dixey said three of the 15 properties in his new subdivision are being listed for rental accommodation. "The industry needs better regulation. "If they don't act, I fear it will become epidemic and then how will they stop it?" Dixey said it doesn't seem right that properties are paying residential rates to the council but are operating as a commercial property. "It needs to be addressed when the hotels down the road are paying through the nose to be commercial accommodation operators." The growth of holiday rentals has sparked concerns across the country, with councils considering how to regulate the industry. There are about 290 Airbnb rentals listed in Mid Canterbury. Ashburton District Council compliance and development group manager Ian Hyde said the council is considering how to handle the increase and impact of the short-term rentals. "Council staff are looking at all these issues currently and have been reviewing work done by other councils. "There is a workshop planned with councillors this month on the wider subject of Airbnbs in our district." Hyde said the district plan allows for visitor accommodation as a permitted activity for up to five guests. "If a property was advertising for more than that, they would need to stop or get a resource consent to operate. The council doesn't comment on specific enforcement complaints, but investigate where non-compliances are found. "Sometimes people make an application once they realise that what they are doing requires consent. "Council has the power to enforce the rules of the District Plan under the Resource Management Act, this can include fines, and where appropriate through the Courts. However, we prefer to work with people to address issues where we can." Dixey said he felt the rules hadn't been enforced so far. "We have no objection to them taking five [guests], but one has been advertising up to 12." He said the majority of groups are fine but you can get "that one group that they have no control over". The rental owners are not onsite so do not know how many people turn up and can mot monitor behaviour, he said. One property owner has applied for a retrospective land use consent to carry out visitor accommodation for up to 11 people. The consent document states the house would only be available for 90 nights a year. Dixie said it could set a dangerous precedent that could result in residential areas being overrun by temporary accommodation, he said. "What's to stop every house on the street applying for consent to be an Airbnb. "You might as well turn the whole place into a commercial accommodation area as the zoning rules aren't worth the paper they are printed on."
Scoop
13 hours ago
- Scoop
Community Encouraged To Feedback On Plan To Guide Development In Te Tapuae Southern Corridor
The community is being asked to get involved in a draft Structure Plan for Te Tapuae Southern Corridor, which aims to guide how land around Hanley's Farm, Jack's Point, and Homestead Bay will grow to ensure it remains a highly desirable place where people can live, work, play, and visit. Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) General Manager Strategy & Policy Michelle Morss, said given the area could support up to a total of 9,300 houses by 2050 and its population was already growing rapidly, it was important Council prepared for current and future needs of the community. 'We've seen Te Tapuae Southern Corridor's population increase by 260% in the last five years alone, and we're expecting that growth to continue regardless of whether we've planned for it or not,' said Ms Morss. 'That's why it's important we have a strategy in place to ensure neighbourhoods across the entire corridor are designed in the best possible way for our communities. That means identifying where homes, shops, and parks go, how people get around, and where services are placed and staged in future.' Created through a carefully considered process and informed by technical assessments, public feedback, and targeted stakeholder engagement, the draft Structure Plan for Te Tapuae Southern Corridor proposes a range of ways to address key challenges and opportunities in the area. These include measures to provide better transport options in the area, more housing choice, supporting three waters infrastructure, stronger community facilities (like new schools, healthcare options, and reserves), and shops and local business opportunities. Some of those measures would lead to things like more frequent bus services and increased active travel routes, a mixture of low, medium, and high-density housing, a new primary school, more parks and sports fields, and a new town centre at Jack's Point Village. The draft Structure Plan looks 30 years into the future and accounts for what already exists in the area and what could limit development in the future, then explores how different housing and densities would impact the need for infrastructure in Te Tapuae Southern Corridor. Ms Morss added that development in the area would have a wide range of implications if it wasn't managed carefully, with increasing congestion on the roading network already evident as residents leave the area to access basic services, community facilities, and work and education. 'I would like to encourage everyone to read through the draft Structure Plan, share your feedback, and ensure future development in the area meets the needs of the community and protects what makes this place special,' said Ms Morss. The draft Structure Plan for Te Tapuae Southern Corridor, supporting information, and details on how to share feedback are all available online at Summaries of the proposal are available at QLDC's office at 10 Gorge Road in Queenstown. Those interested are also invited to drop into community engagement sessions being hosted in the area next week, where Council staff will share more information about the draft plan, answer questions, and take feedback from those who prefer to share it in person. The sessions are being run on Tuesday 24 June from 2.00pm to 4.00pm at Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau's school hall, and on Wednesday 25 June from 6.00pm to 8.00pm at Jack's Point Golf Course Clubhouse. Attendees are invited to pop in at any time for a chat. The Structure Plan for Te Tapuae Southern Corridor does not change zoning, but will set the direction for future development in the area. Once feedback has been incorporated into a final plan, Council will then consider it for formal adoption in September 2025. If adopted, separate plan changes or variations to the District Plan would be required to implement the Structure Plan.
Otago Daily Times
19 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Concerns Canterbury town will be 'overrun' with Airbnbs
By Jonathan Leask, Local Democracy Reporter A Methven resident fears an epidemic of Airbnb owners flouting the rules and over-running residential areas. Paul Dixey is calling on the council to act before it gets out of hand in the Canterbury town. Methven, just over an hour's drive from Christchurch, is popular with skiers and holiday makers. Dixey said three of the 15 properties in his new subdivision are being listed for rental accommodation. "The industry needs better regulation. "If they don't act, I fear it will become epidemic and then how will they stop it?" Dixey said it doesn't seem right that properties are paying residential rates to the council but are operating as a commercial property. "It needs to be addressed when the hotels down the road are paying through the nose to be commercial accommodation operators." The growth of holiday rentals has sparked concerns across the country, with councils considering how to regulate the industry. There are about 290 Airbnb rentals listed in Mid Canterbury. Ashburton District Council compliance and development group manager Ian Hyde said the council is considering how to handle the increase and impact of the short-term rentals. "Council staff are looking at all these issues currently and have been reviewing work done by other councils. "There is a workshop planned with councillors this month on the wider subject of Airbnbs in our district." Hyde said the district plan allows for visitor accommodation as a permitted activity for up to five guests. "If a property was advertising for more than that, they would need to stop or get a resource consent to operate. The council doesn't comment on specific enforcement complaints, but investigate where non-compliances are found. "Sometimes people make an application once they realise that what they are doing requires consent. "Council has the power to enforce the rules of the District Plan under the Resource Management Act, this can include fines, and where appropriate through the Courts. However, we prefer to work with people to address issues where we can." Dixey said he felt the rules hadn't been enforced so far. "We have no objection to them taking five [guests], but one has been advertising up to 12." He said the majority of groups are fine but you can get "that one group that they have no control over". The rental owners are not onsite so do not know how many people turn up and can mot monitor behaviour, he said. One property owner has applied for a retrospective land use consent to carry out visitor accommodation for up to 11 people. The consent document states the house would only be available for 90 nights a year. Dixie said it could set a dangerous precedent that could result in residential areas being overrun by temporary accommodation, he said. "What's to stop every house on the street applying for consent to be an Airbnb. "You might as well turn the whole place into a commercial accommodation area as the zoning rules aren't worth the paper they are printed on." - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
