Benji Maynell and Chris Oxley have been in the accommodation business for the last 25 years, having opened Benji's by the Sea in Scotts Head back in the day when theirs was one of the only alternatives to the caravan park in the tiny village.
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As a registered business, they jumped through all the regulatory hoops with a development application, which required off-street parking.
For them, the advent of the internet and sites like Airbnb has been wonderful, boosting business and bringing many more international travellers to their doorstep.
"We are with Booking.com, Homeaway, Stayz and Airbnb and have visitors from USA, Denmark, Germany, China and Sweden as well as many interstate guests," Benji said.
"We love meeting all the people and the tourism is great for the local economy. Scotts Heads has really come along in the last couple of years and remains a beautiful place to visit."
According to council's tourism marketing coordinator, Maita van Stockum, the Nambucca Valley is now home to just over 200 short term holiday lettings.
Reactions to their presence is mixed, often polarising, and the council is keen to hear what you think ...
Do you have a story to tell about Airbnb?
Are you an Airbnb host or you the neighbour of an Airbnb short-term holiday let?
Perhaps you are a retailer capitalising on new customers in the area as they holiday with Airbnb ... or maybe you are a renter, evicted from a long-term rental property in peak season to allow Airbnb visitors in.
Researchers from Southern Cross University are keen to hear your story and want to give Nambucca Shire residents a voice when it comes to the future of Short-Term Holiday Letting (STHL) here.
A survey released on September 4 offers residents a chance to contribute their views on possible options for STHL in the Nambucca Shire and capture perceptions on positive and negative impacts of Airbnb in their neighbourhood.
The current research project follows a 2018 study, which garnered the views of over 800 Byron Shire residents asked about the impacts of STHLs on their community, specifically through Airbnb.
The results can be seen here .
An opportunity now presents for completing the dataset puzzle covering all 12 LGAs of the North Coast Region and results will be shared with the both the council and the community.
The survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete, is completely anonymous ... and you have until October 15.
Link to the survey: SCU-Nambucca Shire STHL survey
For more information about the research project see SCU Research Project Summary
