Government make changes to temporary accommodations regulations in bid to address housing shortages in WA

Red tape to approve temporary accommodations on privately owned land, such as tiny homes, is being overhauled in an effort to address the lack of housing around WA. The reforms to regulations which come into effect from September 1 will allow local governments to approve licences for temporary accommodations for up to two years. Before the changes, local governments could only approve temporary accommodation arrangements for up to three months. Shire of Denmark chief executive officer David King said housing affordability had “gone through the roof in the last couple of years”. “Affordability in Denmark is probably one of the worst in the whole State,” he said. “Everything we can do to try and improve the amount of affordable housing is a great move, and tiny houses are certainly an affordable option for people.” Mr King said the approval process for tiny homes was hard to navigate as they fell into a gap between caravans and building codes. “We know that there’s a market for it, we know that people want to do it, and we think there’s been some uncertainty in that market because of the approval processes for tiny homes on wheels, and that’s been a challenge,” he said. “But these regulation changes certainly make that a lot easier for us to overcome some of those problems.” “We have an incredibly large population of senior people in Denmark, and that’s only growing, and those people will need looking after by healthcare workers. “Affordable homes are really essential for healthcare workers to operate in Denmark, and so this will provide the option for them, if people take up the opportunity.” New Sanctuary Train tiny home owners Sal and Justin Bellanger said the small-scale accommodation allowed them to be flexible as their needs changed. “At the moment it’s short-term accommodation, but in future it could be for a cleaner, for a seasonal worker, or for one of our family members — it can be whatever we need it to be,” Ms Bellanger said. Special approval will still be required for more than a caravan or home on wheels on a single lot. Minister for Local Government Hannah Beazley, who was at the announcement in Denmark on Thursday, said the “commonsense” changes to regulations were sought by advocates from local governments around the State. “These changes are designed to reduce the administrative burden for applicants, who are often focused on recovering from a natural disaster or building a new home,” she said. “I would like to thank local governments and the WA Local Government Association for their constructive input to these changes.” Jane Kelsbie, the MLA for Warren-Blackwood said the reforms were a “game changer” for temporary accommodation and tiny homes. “Across Warren-Blackwood, there is a strong demand for seasonal worker housing, and we have already witnessed the positive impact of using tiny homes on wheels to meet this demand,” she said. “I’m proud to have played a part in facilitating these sensible changes, which aim to cut red tape, clarify guidelines, and offer better protection against unlawful camping. “Thank you to the shires of Denmark, Manjimup, and Margaret River for their proactive efforts in proposing and advocating for these much-needed reforms.”