Local Government (COVID-19 Response) Amendment Order 2022
The Local Government Amendment (COVID-19 Response) Act 2020 enables the Minister for Local Government to make an order that modifies or suspends provisions of the Local Government Act 1995 (the Act) and Regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following COVID-19 Orders in 2020 and 2021, the Local Government (COVID-19 Response) Amendment Order 2022 (the 2022 Order) has been gazetted, with the key provisions in effect from 25 June 2022.
The 2022 Order aims to assist people experiencing financial difficulty due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic through the continuation of provisions for the 2022/23 financial year that deal with:
- interest on money owing to local governments
- options for payment of rates or service charges
- accrual of interest on overdue rates or service charges.
For all other provisions, the ordinary requirements of the Act and other relevant legislation apply.
The department acknowledges that many local governments have already commenced formal preparation of their 2022/23 budgets; and apologises for any inconvenience. It is important that local governments continue to support members of their community who are experiencing hardship due to the impact of COVID-19.
For information on other recent changes that will affect 2022/23 local government budgets, please head here: