Georges River Council is introducing a number of measures to assist businesses and the community to operate in the changed environment caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
At an extraordinary meeting of the council last night, mayor Kevin Greene read a Mayoral Minutes outlining a number of actions the council will take.
General Manager Gail Connolly has been authorised to take immediate action to help the local community to cope with the impact of the pandemic, he said.
This could include allowing businesses to provide take-away service even where their development consent may not allow this;.
Relaxing enforcement of parking to allow increase takeaway trading in shopping areas;
And non-enforcement of trading and delivery hours for food, beverage and grocery stores.
The council will also provide information to the community on how to apply for deferred or staged payments under its Debt Management and Hardship Policy.
Fees, charges, leases, licences, sports fields hire and other fees will be examined in response to the economic impact of the pandemic on local businesses and the community.
And the council will consider how to assist economic and social recovery after the pandemic has ended, setting out a plan to help a return to normal once medical advice is received indicating that the current social distancing rules and restrictions on gatherings are repealed.
The council has already cancelled community events include Anzac Day services, closed the Senior Citizen's Centre, cancelled non-essential meetings, introduced social distancing measures for all public and staff interactions including customer service centres, relaxed supermarket delivery times, introduced intensive cleaning programs at all council facilities and venues and restricted pubic attendance at all council and Planning Panel meetings.,
"Further action will be required in the future and within our community," Councillor Greene said.
"We know that many businesses and members of our community have been severely impacted by the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I am recommending the General Manager be authorised to introduce measures to assist businesses and the community to operate in a significantly modified environment. This may require a more flexible approach to ensure that businesses can adapt quickly to changing rules around social distancing and the size of the size of gatherings."
