A FURTHER financial relief package will be considered by Gawler Council during a special meeting tomorrow night amid calls for assistance from COVID-19-affected businesses.

Gawler Sweets owner Mario Caruana represents one local business in turmoil and has contacted Gawler Council seeking rate relief during the current crisis.

Potential high sales from the Easter long weekend and the 2020 Gawler Show have “melted away” due to the virus outbreak.

Mr Caruana said the Federal and State Governments have stepped in with “some real assistance”, and believes it is now up to council to “do its bit” if it doesn’t want a main street full of empty shops.

Earlier this month, Member for Light Tony Piccolo put forward the Local Government (Public Health Emergency) (Rate Relief) Amendment Bill 2020 in State Parliament which would see council rates waived for local businesses and not-for-profit organisations forced to close during the pandemic.

Mr Piccolo said the purpose of the Bill is to give small businesses that have closed down the “best opportunity to get back on their feet” and reopen their doors once the crisis is over.

“Rate deferrals, the waiving of late payment fines and the like, are helpful but not enough, as they will have other debts, and they will need the money to restart their businesses,” he said.

Gawler Mayor Karen Redman said council was investigating further local business rate relief measures to what has already been made available.

“Council has previously agreed… as part of what was its immediate financial relief strategy to the community as a result of COVID-19, to enable ratepayers who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to apply for deferred payment of their rates for a period of six months,” she said.

“The impact of this pandemic affects the entire community, including business, community groups and residents. Any further relief measures that council may support need to take a holistic approach to ensure support is delivered where it is most needed and in the most appropriate way.

“Council also needs to look to the future and how it can support recovery of our community. It’s a long-term proposition that council needs to consider carefully within tight budget constraints.”

Mr Caruana said he would also like to see a post COVID-19 strategy from council to help revive local business.

“The administration is currently extensively reviewing the financial performance of the 2019/20 budget, and the financial forecasts within the draft 2020/21 budget, towards tabling a report to (tomorrow’s) meeting, which will provide a financial update upon which further financial relief decisions for the community can be made,” Ms Redman said.

“This will then mean that council’s further consideration of an extended financial relief package to the community will be able to be made from an informed financial position, such that both immediate and longer-term financial consequences can be considered.”

Meanwhile, Mr Piccolo’s move to introduce the Bill was blocked by all members of the Marshall Liberal Government, as it was considered “not urgent” enough to warrant its introduction and debate on the day.

Frustrated, he said small businesses are “hurting now”, along with their workers and local communities, so relief is “urgently needed”.

“It is no secret that small businesses in our state are hurting,” he said in Parliament when discussing the Bill.

“As a result, people are losing their jobs and incomes. Local communities are hurting as well.”