Financial assistance

2019/20 Blue Mountains Bush fire Recovery - Community Grants

Blue Mountains City Council is offering grants up to $7000 to fund the development of community-led projects that aid social and environmental recovery and support communities to build disaster resilience. Activities should be targeted at a whole-of-community level and benefit many people and/or the environment, including wildlife. Applications that include contributions of funds or in-kind will be looked upon favourably. Communities directly
impacted by the 2019/20 bushfires are encouraged to apply.

Applications close Saturday 15 May, 2021. The Community Recovery Funding Request application form can be downloaded from the Forms and Resources section at the bottom of this page.

If you are considering putting in a grant application, please contact Council's Community Recovery Officer Rebecca Evers to discuss your project outline before proceeding with drafting your application. Rebecca Evers: 0439 620 163 or email revers@bmcc.nsw.gov.au

Rates assistance

Council can offer some assistance with rates payments, including extended instalment payment plans for ratepayers and a reduction Domestic Waste Management Charge (included in your rates notice). 

Council is legally required to levy ratepayers (under the Local Government Act 1993) and unfortunately we are not able to waive rates. However, we can provide residents who have been affected by the recent bush fire crisis with the following assistance for the remainder of the 2019/2020 financial period.

Council has implemented a number of options to assist ratepayers:

Payment arrangements
Extended instalment payment plans may be available. Interest penalties can also be put on hold during the period of the arrangement. Requests will be considered on a case by case basis. Contact Council and ask for the Revenue team, on 4780 5000.

Waste Management Service Charges
Reductions in the Domestic Waste Management Charge (included in your rates notice) are available for ratepayer’s whose homes have been destroyed. Call Council on 4780 5000 or email council@bmcc.nsw. gov.au to ask for this to be applied. All requests are managed by Waste Services.

The Local Government Act 1993 requires all properties to pay a ‘Vacant Waste Management Charge’ (currently set at $144.00 per annum) and therefore an appropriate reduction adjustment will be made to affected rate accounts. This adjustment will be reflected in future rate and instalment notices that are issued by the Council.

Onsite Sewer Management Charges (OSM)
Fees apply to all properties with an onsite sewage system. If your home has been destroyed or is uninhabitable, a credit adjustment can be made to the OSM Charge. Advice will be provided by Business & Systems who are responsible for the administration of Sewage Management-Septic Safe Program.

Pensioner concession rebate
Council provides pensioner concession rebates of $250 at the beginning of each financial year. Any changes or adjustments to the rebates are normally processed on a quarterly basis. However, for any pensioner currently receiving a rebate on their rates who has been affected by the bush fires, there will be no adjustment or review to their existing rebate until the end of the 2019/2020 period.

Change of postal address
We normally require a written request to change an address, however we understand that people affected by the bush fires are facing a range of challenges, and we have arranged for these requests to be made over the phone. If you need to update your postal address with Council, please call us on 4780 5000 and ask for the Revenue team. They will process the request on your behalf.

RFS volunteers
We understand that many RFS volunteers are self-employed and are likely to be experiencing difficulties keeping up to date with paying of rates and sundry debtor accounts. We can arrange to have payments made on an interest free basis over a period of time.
Please contact Council on 4780 5000 or at council@bmcc.nsw.gov.au and ask to speak to the Revenue team.

Small businesses
Many small businesses are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the extended bush fire situation. Council can offer arrangements to pay rates and debtor accounts over a period of time, and on an interest free basis. Please contact Council on 4780 5000 and ask to speak to the revenue team.

Download our Rates assistance fact sheet.

Development Application fees waived

Council will waive development application fees for those whose homes have been lost or rendered uninhabitable in the current bush fire emergency including: pre-lodgement advice, development application fees, tree removal fees, Roads Act applications fees, pool inspection fees, relief on-site sewage systems and developer contributions.