Burnie City Council will consider whether rates should be waived

A Tasmanian council will consider stopping all capital works and instead give residents rates relief as coronavirus fallout intensifies.

The concept design for Burnie's new $18 million North West Museum and Art Gallery. Image: BURNIE CITY COUNCIL

THE Burnie City Council is being asked to put all major developments – including its $18 million new art centre – on hold and instead provide rate relief to the city’s residents.

Councillor Ken Dorsey has put up a motion to be debated at the council’s next meeting that all capital works projects be put on hold and the $5 million the council money set aside to progress the proposed Burnie Museum and Art Galley be used for rate relief.

Cr Dorsey also wants the first hour of parking in the city’s multistorey carpark to be waived to help retail businesses weather the coronavirus storm.

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“With the reduced workload, those with excessive annual leave and long service leave should be required to use this time to reduce the council’s entitlements while protecting them as individuals,” his motion says.

“Included in this package of relief would be to withhold any funds owing to external semi-government bodies.

“With the current restrictions placed on travel, visitation, gatherings and events it is imperative that we as a community work together to reduce the strain that this is putting on individuals and businesses.

“While I am a firm believer and proponent of the premise that we must persevere regardless of the circumstances, this has become a situation where jobs will be lost, business will close and our way of living altered for years to come.

“We have funds allocated to capital works that can be postponed and redirected towards providing rate relief for families and businesses adversely affected by current events.

“We are the keeper of community funds to be used for their benefit, in times of need money is what benefits them the most. Reinvesting in our people and helping them through hard times is what we are elected to do.”

The motion comes as the University of Tasmania and Burnie City Council suspend operations at the city’s cultural and tourism hub – the Makers’ Workshop at West Park.