Coronavirus Qld: Labor pledges to freeze rates amid hardship

After LNP Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner offered a sympathetic ear to those struggling to pay rates, his Labor opponent has made a bold election pledge.

BRISBANE ratepayers genuinely struggling to pay their bills will have access to payment plans or deferred payment agreements under a plan from Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner to assist residents and business during the coronavirus crisis.

It comes as Labor’s lord mayoral candidate Patrick Condren announced that a Labor administration would freeze rate increases for a year for all ratepayers in a move they say would cost $69 million.

Coronavirus Qld: Brisbane City Council sympathetic on rates

Schrinner V Condren: Full list of commitments

Comment: Power of LNP incumbency will be too hard for Patrick Condren to overcome

Cr Schrinner said yesterday payment plans or deferral agreements would be offered to struggling owner-occupiers, non-owner-occupiers, commercial and industry ratepayers across the city.

Deferred payment agreements of up to nine months could be arranged.

“There is no way to know how long or how far this economic disaster will go on for, but we are committed to help the Brisbane community through this,” he said.

Mr Condren said the city had found itself in difficult times and it was “important” that the city took the step of freezing any increases to rates for a year, acknowledging it was “unprecedented times”.

The move would not mean that rates would not have to be paid.

Adrian Schrinner

Patrick Condren yesterday. Picture: John Gass/AAP

Cr Schrinner said Labor could not be trusted to run the council’s $3.1 billion budget at the best of times, “let alone during a crisis”.

“While Mr Condren is focused on running for election and making promises he can't keep, I'm focused on keeping the city running,” he said.

Independent councillor Nicole Johnston, who is running for re-election, called on both Cr Schrinner and Mr Condren to commit to waiving all rates, including for businesses, during the next quarter.

She conceded the move would cost tens of millions of dollars, but insisted it was the right decision to make until a proper rates relief plan could be worked out.

Greens councillor Jonathan Sri, also running for re-election, said the waiving or deferral of rates for property owners should be considered, except for those who own vacant properties.

“It’s definitely worth it,” he said.

“We need to keep money in the economy and to keep things flowing.”