State government financial support for Councils: The NSW Government has announced a comprehensive $395 million local government economic stimulus package to reduce the significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on local councils across the State. This package will give councils breathing space to adjust their structures and operations and be in a better position to effectively serve their communities during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The government is:

1. funding a $112.5 million Council Job Retention Allowance of $1,500 per fortnight per employee for three months to limit job losses in the NSW local government sector as councils were deemed ineligible for the Commonwealth’s JobKeeper Payment.
2. will fully fund the $32.76 million increase in the emergency services levy for all NSW councils for 2020-21.
3. increasing the local government lending facility by a further $250 million to $1.35 billion so even more councils and communities can benefit.
4. TCorp will also consider deferring principal and interest payments on council loans upon request for the next six months.

Importantly, this package builds on the NSW Government’s $82 million to support 260 council-run childcare centres and $25 million for local councils to rebuild and refurbish local showgrounds, bringing our total support for the local government sector to over half a billion dollars.

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