Backpacker, Visitor and Tourist Accommodation

Living in Potts Point and being surrounded by lots of backpacker hostels I am only too aware of the good and the not so good side of this industry. In Potts Point and Kings Cross most backpackers are responsibly run with only a few rotten apples spoiling the reputation of the industry. As a local there is something dynamic and cosmopolitan about walking along the street and hearing young people talking in different languages. It is exciting to share our city and country with so many young people just starting their journey in life and who will always remember their stay with Australia.

The ‘rotten apples’ spoil the image of the industry and no doubt also spoil the experience for our young visitors. The Backpacker accommodation industry therefore needs to be better regulated by Council to achieve a higher standard of service and safety for tourists and to manage the impacts upon community amenity. The goal of this DCP is to bring together five different sets of planning controls currently in place to assess backpacker accommodation. Five planning policies has resulted in various methods, inconsistency and confusion amongst residents and applicants. The DCP deals with basic planning policies for hostels including minimum floor space, furniture, facilities and open space. As well as the most important issues of fire and personal safety.

It must be remembered that every backpacker who walks off a jumbo jet is the equivalent in foreign currency earnings to approximately 10 tons of wheat loaded onto an export ship. That does not take into account the thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly created by this growing segment of tourism industry. I will be supporting this DCP and calling on the industry to be more proactive in removing the bad operators and promoting the benefits of the backpacker tourism industry to the broader community.