A series of regulatory changes to ensure council resources continue to be focused on frontline COVID-19 response efforts and to allow councils to provide financial relief to businesses and residents have been introduced.
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Member for Port Macquarie, Leslie Williams said the changes acknowledge that Port Macquarie-Hastings Council is redirecting resources to ensure the delivery of essential services to our community.
"Council is playing a vital role in supporting and protecting local communities during these unprecedented times," Mrs Williams said.
"The changes provide council with the flexibility to adjust to rapidly shifting circumstances.
"Importantly, they also give ratepayers more time to pay their rates notices and allows council to provide financial support to businesses suffering from reduced cash flows or forced closure by waiving or reducing fees."
Amendments to local government regulations include:
- Allowing councils to delay sending out the first quarterly rates notice for 2020-21 and extend the payment deadline by one month;
- Enabling councils to immediately waive or reduce fees for services such as food premise inspections and footpath usage for COVID-19 affected businesses, without the need to provide 28 days public notice;
- Providing councils with a one-month extension to adopt their 2020-21 operational plans and budgets and submit their 2019-20 audited financial statements and annual reports. Councils will also have an extra month to submit their last quarterly budget review statement for 2019-20; and
- Removing the requirement for documents to be made available for inspection at council offices, if the document is published on the council's website or available electronically; and
- Removing the requirement for council notices to be advertised in newspapers and instead allow the relevant notice to be published on the council's website.
Council adopted a range of relief measures at its April meeting.
It will waive or defer the payment of a range of fees and charges for up to six months for community members and businesses impacted by COVID-19.
The measures include waiving interest on rates and charges, waiving food shop inspection fees and waiving credit card surcharge fees.
There is the option to repay outstanding rates and charges by periodical payments on a payment arrangement when the applicant is in financial hardship due to the impacts of COVID-19.
The council will work with businesses and individuals on a case-by-case basis.
Council has also thrown its support behind the local government sector's campaign for assistance in these difficult times.
The sector is seeking financial assistance, employment support and stimulus funding in response to the coronavirus crisis.
Declining revenue, as more ratepayers and businesses are forced into financial hardship, is among the challenges facing councils.
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