Alice Springs councillors agree to freeze residential rates

Centralian residents received welcome news on Monday afternoon with Alice Springs Councillors accepting a rate relief proposal at a special meeting

Alice Springs councillors agreed to a residential rates freeze at a special meeting on Monday. Picture: EMMA MURRAY

Centralian residents received welcome news on Monday afternoon with Alice Springs Councillors accepting a rate relief proposal at a special meeting.

Council agreed to Councillor Eli Melky’s proposal for a rate freeze on residential properties at the 2019/20 level.

There was no support for a similar freeze on commercial property rates.

Mr Melky was successful in gaining support for a reduction in the current penalty interest on late rates from 19 per cent to 9 per cent on all rate payers effective from June 30.

These measures are in addition to the previously announced hardship concessions.

Three notices of motion for rate relief were table by Deputy Mayor Matt Paterson, Mr Melky and Councillor Marli Banks but were not supported by a majority of other councillors at the meeting held via Zoom.

A report from Director Corporate Services Sabine Taylor was discussed before the three motions.

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“To move too early on any of the notice of motions would bring inappropriate risk to the

organisation as a result of too many unqualified variables,” she warned.

“Our analysis and validation is limited to current information and as more complete evidence emerges we will refine our assumptions and predictions accordingly.

“The main considerations limit our ability to correctly anticipate or adequately understand who in our community might be vulnerable or how further disruption will impact a wholesale support measure.”

Council did agree however to identify a $5 million COVID-19-19 reserve to “provide for the future economic, social and wellbeing support of the community and the organisation”.

The motion called on details to be considered in the coming weeks as part of the Council’s 2020/21 budget deliberations as well as ongoing analysis of the needs of the community and other government support packages.

Mr Paterson’s motion suggested introducing a voucher scheme to the amount of $300 for all properties in Alice Springs. This was costed at $3,080,300 to the Council.

Ms Banks called for the waiving or rates for all ratepayers for the first quarter of the 2020/21 financial year. This was costed at $5.750,000 to ASTC.

Mr Melky had a raft of measurers with varying costs associated to them, He suggested paying for them through reduced services.