Victoria's going for Gold! But 7.5% PHoSTRA levy is a tad eye-watering!

Hi All,

Thanks for your support, please keep sharing! Smashing 500 now, we're up to 531! Going Great Guns!

Wow!  So the big news then has to be Victoria's Cash Grab on STR, (or is it STRA or is it PHoSTRA? Short Term Rental, could mean push bikes, Short Term Rental Accommodation could mean the Marriott, I like the unambiguous Private Home Short Term Rental Accommodation. And it's easier to say, though does sound like a Vietnamese soup!)

I think we all saw this coming, but were (or I was) shocked at the 7.5%, that's a lot for very little back, and I think that Victoria's PHoSTRA hosts are hoping other States quickly follow with a similar amount. I am also sure that Victoria's hoteliers are skipping with joy this morning!   But what's this got to do with Queensland?

Well, I think we have to steel ourselves to the almost certain QLD State levy. Hopefully not as much as 7.5%, Queensland is after all the 'Sunshine State' as the Rego plates so often remind us! Thankfully QLD is not quite as cash-strapped as Victoria, and want's (I hope) to keep an edge on the South, so I would guess 5%. And this will be a direct tax on the booking/guest, which is about as fair as you can get and hopefully will not affect hosts too badly.

But the problem is the Double-dip. Will Queensland still allow Local Government to have its snout in the trough? And with it's ridiculously unsuited snout of Differential Rates?  This surely is now the focus of our protest.  We can't stop the State from having it's tax and as long as it is reasonable, our businesses should be relatively unscathed by this direct tax. But we have to stop this ridiculous tripling of Rates by Sunshine Coast Council, and similar by Gold Coast Council and Noosa Shire Council (Brisbane is just a modest 60% increase!) for Airbnb'ing your property!

Yesterday I wrote an 11 page submission for the Minister of Local Government, The Honourable Dr Steven Miles MP, Deputy Premier and Minister of the Department of State Development Infrastructure Local Government and Planning (Wow - talk about acronyms!) And I also posted a copy of it on The Sunshine Coast Airbnb Hosts Community's Facebook space. (As well as my SCC Councillors). Let me know if you'd like a copy. (pipwillis@gmail.com) It explodes the claims made by these greedy Councils and exposes their mendacity in making these outrageous hikes, as well as sets out why PHoSTRA needs to be encouraged by the State for the very great boon it brings to local economies and communities.

I would imagine that well before the next round of State elections in October 2024 and even the Local elections in March next year, even before Christmas, State will have a policy for PHoSTRA. Now is the time to input into that policy, even though we have not been asked too!  So please keep signing and sharing, because this little petition is starting to get some political weight!  The time is now!

Thanks heaps!

Pip