16 April, 2020

Gunnedah Shire Council has joined a state-wide call for the Federal and NSW governments to step up their economic support for local government during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a Mayoral Minute at this week’s Council meeting, Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey said Gunnedah Shire Council was already suffering the consequences of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

“We fully understand and support the partial lockdown Australia is in, but it comes at a cost,” Cr Chaffey said.

“Gunnedah Shire Council is a major employer and the supplier of many essential services for our Shire. In addition to this, we are implementing measures to help our local businesses through this incredibly hard time.

“We are in a sound financial position but are also facing the impact of closures of services such as the pool, the cinema, cultural and sporting facilities. We are struggling with the last three years of compounding financial impacts of drought and now COVID‐19.

“Council has faced increased costs and at the same time is experiencing declining revenue as more and more ratepayers are forced into financial hardship. The impacts are escalating.

“Like other local government authorities around our state and the nation, we need to look to the future and ensure we can continue to support our community. It is critical that the local government sector receive adequate funding and resources to coordinate and deliver the goods and services needed as we navigate through, and recover from, natural disasters and the new challenges presented by COVID-19 without being forced to look to increase our residents rates and charges to fund any future shortfall.”

Council is seeking:
• Urgent Federal and NSW government delivery of comprehensive and multifaceted financial support and stimulus packages to local government to enable them to continue to operate effectively and provide essential services during the COVID‐19 pandemic
• An increase in Financial Assistance Grants payments to 1% of Commonwealth taxation revenue
• Stimulus funding to councils for projects that will help sustain council operations and boost local economies, such as increasing or bringing forward existing programs or introducing new programs
• Increased access to TAFE, VET and other apprenticeship opportunities that council staff can undertake to address skill shortages, especially for staff in non‐essential services who are unable to be redeployed.

Cr Chaffey has also commended the NSW and Federal governments on their strong leadership during the pandemic and committed to working in partnership with both tiers of government to protect community health and sustain our population and local economy.

ENDS

Media contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.