The NSW Government will pay bushfire victims' local council rates this quarter, as residents and businesses get back on their feet.
The NSW Government will foot the bill for this quarter's council rates as part of their response to the bushfire crisis.Bushfire victims will have their council rates waived this quarter, as part of the NSW Government bushfire relief plan
The NSW Local Government Minister says expecting residents and business to pay rates after a bushfire would be"cruel and absurd"People who have lost their home or business will be able to take their rates notices to a Service NSW centre and rates will be waived within the next few days — or refunded if they have already been paid.
Sending out rates is a legal requirement for councils and the Minister for Local Government, Shelley Hancock, said changing legislation would have been clunky and time-consuming. "It's a cruel, absurd situation where you send them a rates notice for a property that's burnt to the ground," Ms Hancock said."They shouldn't be paying rates where they have no council services, no water, no sewerage, and it will be a while before they have a home to live in."
Ms Hancock said the proposal had been in the works for weeks, and noted that it took until now for the Premier to approve the deal.Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the State and Federal Government have committed to a 50-50 split for the cost of the clean-up from the bushfires.
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