Exclusive: Full details of financial COVID lifeline by council to help small business and frontline workers

Treasurer Cameron Dick has strongly backed Tom Tate’s move to provide financial support for small businesses impacted by COVID lockdowns. FULL DETAILS >>>

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TREASURER Cameron Dick has strongly backed Mayor Tom Tate’s move to provide financial support for small businesses impacted by COVID lockdowns.

Mr Dick at a media conference on Monday had singled out local authorities for not helping struggling businesses

“The federal government has dug deep,” he said. “The state government has dug deep. We’ve gone into deficit and have borrowed to help. We’re looking to councils now to do their bit to help businesses in their affected Local Government Areas.”

But Councillor Tate, responding to calls to help businesses on the verge of bankruptcy, on Wednesday outlined to the Bulletin his plans which are set to ticked off by councillors at a full council meeting on Tuesday.

The council’s small business relief package to help the lockdown-stricken tourism, accommodation and restaurant industries avoid financial collapse is tipped to provide a multi-million dollar lifeline. It will include the waiving of fees, delayed rate payments and parking relief for frontline health workers.

Mr Dick on Thursday told the Bulletin: “I want to congratulate Mayor Tom Tate on the Gold Coast City Council for stepping up to provide relief for businesses affected by lockdowns and border closures. It’s great to see all levels government working to support businesses to ensure we can safely get back to business as soon as possible.”

COUNCIL REVEALS SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF PACKAGE

THE council is building a small business relief package aware the COVID lockdown is bankrupting the city’s tourism, accommodation and restaurant industries with many operators unlikely to survive to Christmas.

While yet to be fully costed, council insiders suggest it will be a multi-million dollar lifeline which waives fees, delays rate payments and provides parking relief for frontline health workers.

An empty M1 on the Gold Coast during lockdown. Picture: Richard Gosling.

The Bulletin early on Tuesday sent several questions to Mayor Tom Tate aware the Brisbane City Council had considered an urgency motion for its own business financial relief only for councillors to reject it.

Councillor Tate responded by revealing he had consulted council’s top bureaucrats including acting CEO Joe McCabe as they finalised the Small Business Relief Package to help traders get through the south-east Delta cluster which threatens to force the current lockdown to go beyond next Monday.

“I hope to be able to introduce further measures to support our small business economy,’’ Cr Tate told the Bulletin.

Mayor Tom Tate has been meeting with acting council CEO Joe McCabe, in the background. Picture Glenn Hampson

“These mum-and-dad operators have put their hearts and souls into their family enterprise. We will do everything we can to help.’’

The council in the last financial year had waived fees for al fresco dining, introduced more flexible payment plans for water and rates accounts and removed interest on outstanding fees including film application and development applications.

“These were the 2020 measures and it’s pleasing to know some 2020 support packages are still in place,” Cr Tate said.

“Next Monday, I will circulate a draft Small Business Relief package to all councillors, in readiness for Tuesday’s Full Council. I have asked our acting CEO to bring forward every measure possible to assist. Councillors will debate these at Full Council.’’

The financial package highlights will include:

* A continuation of the al fresco dining package.

* Parking relief for medical staff in, and around, health facilities such as Robina Hospital and Gold Coast University Hospital.

People lining up to be tested at the Covid Testing centre in the Outback Spectacular carpark at Oxenford. Frontline health workers will get parking fee relief. Picture Glenn Hampson.

* Deferral plans and special arrangements for business operators facing difficulty paying annual licence fees or water/city rates.

“Everything is on the table but it’s important to understand that legislatively, we cannot waive rates on properties. Under State legislation, we are lawfully required to collect rates,” Cr Tate said.

The Mayor said the council on June 23 in its 10th consecutive annual budget kept the average general rate increase for principal places of residences “at, or near, CPI”.

“The 2021-22 rate increase was along similar lines,” he said.

Since 2020, the al fresco dining package has saved 330 businesses $1.28 million in fees and this relief will continue in 2020-21 with a further saving of $1.3 million.

The council in 2021-21 also provided a one-off reduction in commercial rates, including tourist rentals, of $6 million for Southport, Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise and southern Gold Coast.`

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Originally published as Exclusive: Full details of financial COVID lifeline by council to help small business and frontline workers