Shire of Broome to wipe penalty interest for unpaid rates and pause outstanding payments amid COVID-19

Penalty interest for unpaid land rates will be wiped and outstanding payments are set to be paused by the Shire of Broome in a bid to help struggling residents through the coronavirus crisis. Councillors passed a motion at an ordinary meeting last week to alter the 2019-20 budget to include $100,000 for COVID-19 expenses as the pandemic continues to impact the tourist town. The amendment would cover the interest owed by ratepayers for this financial year’s rates, as well as allowing the Shire to hold off on collecting the remainder of the 2019-20 rates, owed by some who choose to pay quarterly. The motion stated the organisation would identify potential savings to minimise the impact on the end-of-year surplus or deficit, constrict all its services from April 14 to 17 to reduce the movement of its staff and keep the Broome Recreation and Aquatic Centre tennis courts open, free of charge, until June. Councillors also adopted the Kimberley Regional Group’s position statement for maximum travel restrictions across and around the region, with the exception of deliveries and goods and services. Shire president Harold Tracey said it was important to focus on what could be delivered on a local government level. “We will be evaluating a lot going forward in response to the coronavirus and will be looking carefully at where our money is spent,” he said. “Right now we are going as fast as we can in terms of what we can pull back for the time being. “These are just the initial steps that we will be taking as a Shire and I have no doubt there will be more drastic decisions in coming months.” Cr Fiona West was the only elected member to speak and vote against the agenda item. Speaking via telephone at the meeting, Cr West said she was not in favour of the KRG position statement, but agreed with all other points of the motion. Cr Tracey told Cr West it was the KRG that had prompted the State Government to close the Kimberley borders, a decision that was implemented last Thursday evening.