Council is committed to assisting all ratepayers who are experiencing any degree of financial difficulty or financial hardship.
Council considers:
- Financial difficulty to mean a difficulty to pay debts short term due to a change in living circumstances; and
- Financial hardship to mean a prolonged difficulty in paying living expenses, including debts, due to financial circumstances.
The Policy ensures all ratepayers regardless of their circumstances will face no judgement, and will be treated with understanding, dignity and respect with a focus on ratepayers who may be vulnerable to financial difficulties. It is a living document which will continue to evolve and be responsive to our ratepayer needs. Council is committed to continual improvement through our learning, working with partners and experts in the field of people facing financial vulnerability.