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:
- 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.
- will fully fund the $32.76 million increase in the emergency services levy for all NSW councils for 2020-21.
- increasing the local government lending facility by a further $250 million to $1.35 billion so even more councils and communities can benefit.
- 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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