LOCAL residents or community organisations financially impacted by the COVID-19 emergency can continue to seek support from a Riverland council.
Renmark Paringa councillors passed a motion at last month’s general meeting to extend council’s hardships measures associated with COVID-19 for the upcoming financial quarter.
Renmark Paringa director corporate and community services Tim Pfeiffer said ongoing financial effects throughout the community made it necessary to renew the policies.
“We didn’t have a formal hardship policy in place until April and we developed it in April, (so) we said we would come back and review the provisions for that,” Mr Pfeiffer said.
“That policy included specific COVID-19 provisions, in addition to general hardship provisions.
“We’ve reviewed that now in July, and we’ll be coming back and reviewing that again in September.
“It’s a constant checking of where are we at now, and what does the community need.”
Mr Pfeiffer said local sporting clubs and community groups would pay discounted lease and licence fees – or have these waved completely – for the next quarter.
“For those clubs and community groups that are still not using their facilities at all, we won’t be charging them for the next quarter,” he said.
“Quite a lot, probably the majority, of clubs and community organisations now are using their facilities…they will be paying 50 per cent of this next quarter as opposed to the full amount.”
Renmark Paringa chief executive officer Tony Siviour said council would continue to adapt its policies relating to COVID-19.
“We’ve reviewed our hardship policy twice, and we’ve already scheduled that we’ll review it again,” Mr Siviour said.
“This is a bit of an ongoing beast and we don’t know where it’s going to end up, hence council will continue to come back and review how the community is travelling.”
Mr Pfeiffer said council had received 12 applications for rate deferrals, however four of these were now “up -to-date”.
“We had 12 applicants for that, and of those four are now up-to-date with their rates and now off the hardship program,” he said.
“Our community and our economy has been affected by COVID-19. It’s fortunate a lot of our economy is agriculture-based and we still need to feed ourselves.
“Transport is another one of our large movers in the economy and we still need to move goods around.
“There have been certain segments that have taken significant hits, like hospitality and retail, but big sections of our economy have managed to have reasonable continuity as well.”