Message from the Mayor COVID-19 update

02 April 2020 | Council News

I would like to start by thanking the Waverley community for their acts of kindness during these unprecedented times and their overall civil and compliant behaviour.

The decision to close our beaches was one Council did not take lightly, and I ask that the community continue to respect our Lifeguards and Council Rangers who are helping keep our community safe. Our beach closures apply to everyone, especially as people continue to die as a result of this pandemic and businesses are closing.

At time of writing, there were over 100 cases of COVID-19 in the Waverley LGA and no-one is immune to this virus. As there will be more cases reported in Waverley, I ask that we all pull together and set an example for our children and for our community. We all have a role to play to flatten this global pandemic.

With regards to small business, Waverley Council last week announced a $1 million per month small business relief package aimed at helping all small businesses, including those in the retail and hospitality industries that have been impacted significantly by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

The package includes a raft of measures including relaxed conditions of consent for permits, fee waivers and commercial rent support. It is a long list of measures, so I encourage local businesses to visit our website waverley.nsw.gov.au or for more information, contact our dedicated Waverley Council business response team at business@waverley.nsw.gov.au

In addition to the above measures, Council has agreed to contract the Bondi & Districts Chamber of Commerce to provide consulting and advisory services to help with our planning for medium and long-term relief measures once pandemic restrictions have eased or ended. For more information, contact the Chamber at info@bondichamber.com.au

At time of writing, Council was investigating a range of financial relief measures to support residents during these difficult times. Significantly, we are reviewing whether our current policy for the deferral of payment of rates under a hardship provision can be amended to be more relevant to the circumstances in which many residents now find themselves.

These are constantly evolving times and we will continue to update the community about our responses to COVID-19 via our website and other channels including Precincts, social media and outdoor signage.

By working together, we can help control this pandemic. Police now have the powers to issue $5,000 on-the-spot fines to businesses and $1,000 fines for residents who fail to comply with national social distancing guidelines, so please do the right thing.

For the latest Health information about COVID-19, visit NSW Government Health website.

Paula Masselos, Mayor of Waverley