Rates relief sought for fire impacted residents

Published on 18 February 2021

The City of Swan is proposing to apply a rates concession to ratepayers whose properties have been impacted by the Wooroloo bushfires.

The proposal was brought before Council on Wednesday evening, where it was deferred to the March 17 Ordinary Council Meeting.

City of Swan Mayor Kevin Bailey said the deferment will provide the opportunity to assess the full impact of the fires on impacted ratepayers.

“This month has been extremely challenging and the scale of loss is hard to comprehend, and many people in our community have been deeply impacted,” he said.

“We wish to provide financial relief to impacted property owners at this difficult time.

“However, more work is needed in the interim to complete our inspections so that we can consider rate relief.

“It is important that we don’t miss anybody in this process, and we capture everyone who is entitled to some rate relief.”

Swan Valley/Gidgegannup Ward Councillor Rod Henderson, who moved the deferral motion, said the City is keeping impacted residents at the front of mind.

“We recognise the hardship being experienced by our community members who have been impacted by the Wooroloo Fires, and understand the magnitude of loss they are facing,” he said.

“Our thoughts are with those families right now. We are here to support you, and help get you back on your feet.”

A range of financial support is currently available to affected residents including Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements WA (DRFAWA), Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund, Services Australia Disaster Recovery One-Off Payment and Disaster Recovery Allowance, and Bushfire Relief Payments funded by the Department of Premier and Cabinet/administered by the City.

Affected residents can apply for Bushfire Relief Payments and Lord Mayor's Distress Relief Funding on our website, by calling us for information on 9267 9267, or by visiting our Bushfire Recovery Centre, Administration Building or any of our Libraries.

If you've been affected by these bushfires and wish to be kept up-to-date with the latest updates, sign up to our mailing list.

To access the dashboard and for more information about the City of Swan’s response to the Wooroloo Bushfires, visit www.swan.wa.gov.au/bushfire2021