COVID-19 Care Package to help Tweed residents and businesses
03 April 2020
Council offers more than $600,000 in support to take care of the Tweed
Tweed Shire Council has announced a series of measures to provide assistance for those who have been affected financially by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Mayor of Tweed, Katie Milne said many Tweed ratepayers, residents and businesses had taken a financial hit by the effects of COVID-19, as well as measures taken by various levels of government to slow down infection levels.
“These are very stressful times and we know many people are hurting financially,” Cr Milne said.
“In response, we have developed a COVID-19 Care Package to provide immediate assistance to reduce household and business expenses during the impact phase.
“This is a targeted and well thought-out package to maximise relief to those who need it the most, rather than a general rate freeze that would have provided the most benefit to the largest, and possibly the richest, landholders in the Shire.
“The COVID-19 Care Package includes an interest-free rates deferral option for residents and businesses who can demonstrate they have been financially impacted by the health crisis,” Cr Milne said.
“We’re also being a responsible landlord and trying to help the community by waiving and refunding fees for bookings and licences over the next 12 months for businesses, community and sporting groups that can no longer undertake activities in Council venues or on Council land.
“A recovery phase of increasing expenditure by providing direct assistance or local economic stimulus will be considered as the next step in our response,” she said.
The following COVID-19 Care Package measures were adopted at yesterday’s Council Meeting:
1. Deferral of two quarters (Q4 2019/2020 and Q1 2020/2021) of rate instalments on application for residents and businesses that can demonstrate that have been negatively financially impacted by COVID-19. The deferral will attract zero interest and will be repayable over a two-year period from Quarter 2, 2020/2021. (Estimated cost to Council - $205,000)
2. Waiver/rebate of all outdoor dining fees for 12 months (est. $90,000)
3. Rebate of annual airfield lease for commercial businesses directly affected by COVID-19 aviation downturn at the Murwillumbah Airfield for 2020 (est. $30,000)
4. Fifty per cent reduction for cattle saleyards for 2020 (est. $5,000)
5. 80 per cent rent reduction for Visitor Information Centres for the duration of the pandemic (est. $32,000)
6. Waiving licensing fees at the Tweed Marina for 2020 (est. $138,000)
7. Waiving/refunding booking/licence fees for Council facilities, venues or parks for 2020 (est. $100,000)
8. Waiver of development application fees relating to the COVID-19 emergency for 12 months commencing 3 April 2020 (est. $20,000)
9. Waiving the parking cost at the Council-owned carpark in Murwillumbah for six months commencing 3 April 2020 (est. $13,000)
10. Pause/deferment on payments on Council loans for six months for all not-for-profit and sporting clubs commencing 3 April 2020.
“We are playing our part where we can to help our community get through these unprecedented times, while Council adapts and maintains safe and efficient services for the Tweed community.
“The total cost to Council for these 10 measures is estimated at more than $633,000,” she said.
“Council as a business is not immune to COVID-19 impacts and we will experience a downturn in income, including the temporary closure of five holiday parks and our cultural and aquatic facilities.
“Add to this increasing unexpected costs, such as technology to enable staff to work from home, increased cleaning and sanitation costs for our remaining staff and public places as well as the cost of changing all our systems around and we believe the total impact on the budget to be around $3 million.”
For more details on Council’s response to COVID-19, visit www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/coronavirus