COVID-19 financial support measures

27 March 2020

The City of Stirling acknowledges the financial impact that the COVID-19 crisis will have on the community and is working on a range of support measures to provide financial relief during this unprecedented time.

Mayor Mark Irwin said that to alleviate some of the financial pressure the City had already announced a raft of actions to reduce the financial impact of the crisis by:

  • Removing client fees for community care services
  • Reducing meal fees for all Home and Community Care (HACC) and Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) recipients over the next two months
  • Removing the fee for verge permits and reducing the amount of money tied up in verge bonds by up to $1,000
  • Providing rent abatement and deferral for commercial lessee’s affected by the State and Federal Government’s social distancing measures in City owned tenancies
  • Reducing or removing lease and license fees and providing tangible advice on reducing outgoings for our community sporting clubs.

“It’s evident from talking to local businesses, mums and dads, single home owners and students – everyone across our community – that we are all doing it tough and therefore it’s important that the City does all it can to help, “ Mayor Irwin said.

“We are working to introduce the following measures to further support our community which will include:

  • A freeze on municipal rates and charges, including security and waste charges
  • Removing instalment, interest and penalty fees
  • Suspension of lease and rental payments on City properties
  • Reviewing and removing fines where possible
  • Providing a range of options to debtors experiencing hardship
  • Deferring non-essential projects to re-direct funds to support community needs
  • Supporting local businesses by continuing to buy local
  • Reviewing fees and charges across the City.”

“It is vital that we continue to keep the local economy going through these times and so I have written to the Deputy Prime Minister to assist in fast-tracking the delivery of land transport infrastructure projects on local roads through the Infrastructure Investment Program which is part of the Federal Government’s economic support package,” Mayor Irwin said.

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