Wollongong City Council will fast-track a review into the rates paid by city centre businesses and look into what council support could be provided to the struggling retailers in the city centre.
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In a mayoral minutes at Monday night's meeting, Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery urged councillors to expedite a review of its city centre levies - which have been criticised by retailers as being more expensive than taxes in Bondi - "in light of the downturn in retail trade and the present economic circumstances".
This was supported unanimously by other councillors.
The commitment comes after property owners and retailers last month banded together in a new push to get the council to lower its CBD rates and consider other measures - such as reopening the mall to traffic.
This, the Property Council said in a letter to the mayor and general manager, would help businesses along the city's main shopping strip which are at risk of "continual collapse".
In his motion, Cr Bradbery also highlighted the council's commitment to complete an LGA-wide "retail centres study" and requested that this prioritise the city centre to identify the factors influencing retail.
He also said he thought some people in the community needed a "reality check" about the state of retail and what the council could do to help the ailing sector.
"Before COVID-19 retail was facing challenging conditions right across NSW and Australia, with a steady decline in retail growth rates, and this was not a problem specific to Crown Street Mall, or anywhere in Wollongong for that matter," he said.
"Now, the pandemic is profoundly reshaping the way people spend. It has forced us to do things differently and it has affected our consumption patterns."
He said e-commerce had boomed and in some instances pushed the sector 10 years into the future in less than three months, which was hurting traditional retail and would cause "lasting disruption" to places like the mall.
"I'm quite open to all the suggestions for activating this part of our city, more specifically the mall, bearing in mind also that the mall is a public space for everyone, a community space, a reprieve from noise and fumes and a meeting space and gathering space," he said.
Other councillors welcomed Cr Bradbery's motion, but some cautioned businesses that the review of rates may not lead to their desired outcome.
For instance, Labor's David Brown said the levies were put towards activities to support businesses, like promotions, activities, maintenance, cleaning, security, community safety and crime prevention.
"We understand that retailers, businesses and ratepayers generally are doing it tough, and we've implemented some measures to help out as best we can through rate relief programs and [diverting] parking fees to to CBD activity and promotions," he said.
"But it might be worth noting that the levies themselves go towards promotions, activities, maintenance, cleaning, security, community safety and crime prevention. If retailers and land owners in the CBD don't want to do some of those things, they're going to have to make a pretty convincing case.
"If they want everybody else to pay for it and they're going to benefit from it, they're going to have to make an even stronger case."
Liberal councillor John Dorahy welcomed the levy review, stating it was important to address the perception that Wollongong was a more expensive place to run a business that places like Bondi and Parramatta.
"If we are, we probably need to consider if we're in the right realm here," he said.
Ann Martin asked staff whether the levies were applied to landlord or tenants, with General Manager Greg Doyle stating it was the land owner who was responsible for paying the extra taxes.
Cr Martin said she thought this meant landlords ought to take more responsibility for the "health and vitality" of the mall, and said the council already had a number of programs in place to activate the city centre.
"I wish people would stop going out of their way to tell us that we're all hopeless and we know nothing, when in fact we are actually dong a lot," she said.
"And the obvious signs of investment and cranes in the sky are a sign that our investment community also thinks we are doing a lot too."
But independent councillor Dom Figliomeni said he thought the mall lacked "soul and vibrancy" and said Cr Bradbery's motion was just the start of a lot more work that needed to be done.
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Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
