Andrea Dawkins MP | Greens' Tourism spokesperson
The Greens welcome the government's policy on the sharing economy, announced today. Modern governments must keep up with developing industries, so local economies don't suffer.
Tasmania has an accommodation shortfall and more and more travellers want cheaper and more relaxed alternatives to traditional hotel accommodation.
The changes proposed to begin in July will come as a relief to many Air BnB and Stayz operators, who were exposed by over-regulation for too long.
This policy change also recognises the increased demand for accommodation in regional areas, and coastal communities, as well as near protected areas.
Increased demand highlights the need to protect the natural environment, and invest in long term, sustainable industries - like tourism - that don't compromise those values.
We hope that issues such as land tax charges, permit fees and local government administrative issues are well and truly sorted out by 1 July.
While today's announcement looks to relieve much of the stress for operators, some details are yet to be made clear. We look forward to seeing the full details in due course.