Applications are open for a Tiny Houses on Wheels (THOWs) Pilot in the Surf Coast Shire, as Council continues to seek solutions to the affordable housing and key worker accommodation crisis.
Council endorsed the three-year pilot at its December Council meeting, with Mayor Liz Pattison looking forward to seeing the housing option explored across the shire.
"Issues surrounding the regulation of tiny houses on wheels are complex and largely uncharted in Victoria," she said. "The pilot will enable us to assess the impacts of tiny houses on wheels and monitor and evaluate the contribution they could make as a safe and legal way to provide affordable and diverse housing options."
The pilot will run until December 2026, with the THOWs required to be on a wheeled trailer base and placed on privately-owned land, subject to an agreement between the applicant and land owner.
Assessment criteria include legal compliance, environmental impacts, amenity, access, waste management, connection to services and utilities, and safety. The tiny house must not be located in a Flooding Overlay or Bushfire Management Overlay, unless within a township boundary
"If successful, applicants will be granted a Temporary Residence permit under our Community Amenity Local Law 2021, subject to terms and conditions," Mayor Pattison said.
"It's important to note that the pilot focuses entirely on possibilities for affordable housing and key worker accommodation, and does not permit the tiny houses on wheels for short-term
leisure-style accommodation."
Council will consult directly with participants and neighbouring properties during the pilot, to help develop processes and policies to potentially regulate THOWs in the future.
"We know that protecting the character of the places we call home is vital for community members, as is protecting amenity — which is addressed through minimum setbacks," Mayor Pattison said.
"We're also clear in what a tiny houses on wheels is. In this pilot, we aren't classing caravans, wagons, vans, tents, transportable homes or shipping containers as tiny houses on wheels."
"We're among the first councils in Australia to endorse a tiny houses pilot, and we're proud to be proactive in this space to provide key workers with a potential accommodation solution," the Mayor said.
"It could also enable residents — some who might currently be living in unaffordable or unsuitable housing — to stay in their community close to their jobs, social networks and family, perhaps in a multi-generational household.
"The pilot adds to the Aireys Inlet Affordable Housing Project to develop social and affordable housing in Fraser Drive, and the Anglesea Community and Health Hub draft precinct plan which features proposed townhouses and apartments for key workers.
"The pilot also supports our goal to see households take their own steps to become more sustainable, with tiny homes typically resulting in a reduced environmental footprint."
To learn more about the Tiny Houses on Wheels Pilot — including the application checklist, process and frequently asked questions — visit surfcoast.vic.gov.au/THOWs.
