Local councils struggling to classify and regulate tiny homes

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Dreams of tiny living, across Australia, are being shattered as local councils struggle to classify and regulate, tiny homes. For one Perth woman, her dream has become little more than a $130,000 storage unit in her dad's front yard.

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00:00This is a tiny home, on wheels, which can't legally be occupied.

00:08It's felt absolutely horrendous to be having to deal with this, especially because I brought

00:12my dad into it, so it's not just me.

00:15Catherine Payne's father purchased this $130,000 tiny home with his superannuation to help kickstart

00:21her independence while living on the same block in Perth's northern suburbs.

00:28She needs to be close to family for medical support after being diagnosed with epilepsy.

00:33This was supposed to be my home, yep.

00:36But she hasn't been allowed to live in it since a neighbour complained to the local council.

00:41Ms Payne says the city of Wanaru didn't raise any objections to begin with, but is now threatening

00:46a $50,000 fine if the tiny home isn't removed.

00:51Because at the moment I feel like my life has just been pulled right out from underneath me.

00:55This is the big thing is that there's no clarity.

00:58It's an issue sweeping through Australia as local councils grapple with the definition

01:03and regulation of tiny homes.

01:06Some like them, others don't.

01:08And I think the most we can hope for is that those councils, what they're doing becomes well

01:13known and people go, oh, if Esperance can do that and the sky hasn't fallen in and it's

01:19made a contribution, then why can't we do it?

01:22In WA's state laws introduced last year allow people to camp in tiny homes on wheels for

01:28up to 24 months if the local council approves.

01:32In rejecting Ms Payne's case, the city of Wanaru said it acted consistently and fairly to

01:37maintain community safety and protect the rights of all residents.

01:41I drew back on the mortgage to help her with that.

01:45So I'm now in a situation where really, if I retire, it's probably not affordable.

01:50From a tiny dream to an expensive nightmare.

01:53from a valuable life.

02:02That's something we can burn before we go into

02:07to an expensive restaurant.

02:12If you have an animal relative to the street we go tolled ship, that really need

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