Approximately 80 per cent of Shoalhaven residents took up at rate rebate of $300 from Shoalhaven City Council as part of their COVID-19 relief measures.
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In total $13,974,000 was spent by council to rebate the money to 46,705 ratepayers. Of all eligible ratepayers, 11,681 did not apply for the discount.
According to council 73 per cent of applications were submitted online, 21 per cent via post and 6 per cent over the phone.
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Originally, only seven out of the 13 councillors supported to motion which instead of a rate rebate was set to give $300 cash to every ratepayer. But when this was possibly not within council's power, it was changed to a rate rebate at a later meeting.
As well as the rate relief, council also implemented a number of discounts of development application fees.
At an extra ordinary meeting on April 7 a suite of discounts and changes for developments was approved.
It included waiving fees for pre-lodgement meetings, a 50 per cent discount to DA lodgement fees, a discount to water and sewerage headworks charges for all developments by 75 per cent and a reduction of development contributions under the EPA Act.
"From 30/04/2020 to 05/11/2020 the total DA fees paid to Council has been $684,457.43. The total Covid-19 discount applied is $253,094.31," a council spokesperson said.
"If the discount was not applied, then the total income would have been $937,551.74."