Wollongong City Council held its first socially distant council meeting on Monday night, passing a rate relief package that could dent the city's budget by up to $43 million.
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With only Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery, general manager Greg Doyle and other "essential staff" in the council chamber, other councillors joined via Skype and the meeting was webcast with only audio, to allow public access.
At the start of the meeting, Cr Bradbery moved a mayoral minute to thank frontline medical staff and others delivering essential and emergency services during this time.
He also lent the council's voice to the directives from health authorities, and called on everyone to observe the non-essential travel directives, saying Wollongong's open spaces were "for our residents only".
He also said there were "people making non-essential travel into our city" and said this needed to stop, because "I don't want our residents to lose the opportunity to use our recreational spaces".
Other councillors strongly supported this motion speaking eloquently about the wide-reaching affects coronavirus was having throughout the city. Cr Cameron Walters added in a formal recognition of residents and the business community for adapting and following the self-isolation and social distancing rules.
Likewise Cr Ann Martin acknowledged residents who have been supporting each other within their local neighbourhoods.
In a second COVID-19 motion, the council supported removal of penalty interest on overdue rates and annual charges until August 31 to provide financial relief to residential and commercial ratepayers who "may be suffering financial hardship in these unprecedented times during the COVID-19 outbreak and recovery".
The next round of rates will be due to be paid on May 31, and rate notices will be sent out as normal but the council will not require payment or enforce any legal recovery actions until the end of August.
This means any ratepayer can choose not to pay their rates on time, which has the potential to impact the councils cash flow by $43 million
Speaking to the motion, Deputy Mayor Tania Brown said local government had a role to play in supporting residents and businesses, who were facing record levels of unemployment.
"In coming weeks and months we may need to look at other ways [to support people], including perhaps a stimulus package of out own," she said.
She said residents who could afford to pay their rates of time should do so, to allow the council to keep essential services running during the pandemic.
"If you can, please pay your rates, but if you can't we understand, we won't be adding interest payments to that," she said.
During the debate, councillor Janice Kershaw suggested the council extend the penalty interest waiver should be extended to November 30.
She said people who had been unable to pay their rates between now and August would be hit with interest payments very soon after the projected end of the shut down.
"Council has suggested August 31, which I think is helping, but I don't believe the timeframe is sufficient," she said.
"Many, many residents in this city rely heavily on the service industry. Many people have lost their jobs or have had to close down their businesses."
However, the council's financial officer said this could create a cash flow problem for the council in the order of $100 million.
General manager Greg Doyle said the council could look at extending the interest free period at a later date.
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