The council is bracing for the full impact of coronavirus to hit its budget.
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Councillors at their recent meeting signed off on the draft 2020/21 operational plan for public exhibition but general manager Warwick Bennett has signalled changes.
Scenarios based on a 20 to 40 per cent income cut are being modelled if coronavirus restrictions go beyond June 30.
With business feeling the heat and those out of work reliant on Centrelink, Mr Bennett is expecting a rise in rate hardship requests.
The consequent hit on retirees' superannuation will also contribute, he says.
The council collects $29.5 million annually in rates and a reduction may affect service delivery.
As part of a general managers group, Mr Bennett has pressed the need for state assistance to councils and their employees' eligibility for the federal JobKeeper program.
The group is also discussing ideas such as deferring the state's 2.6pc rate peg, seeking union agreement to hold back on award increases, government underwriting of unpaid rates, an additional federal Financial Assistance Grant payment and a state government stimulus program to offset the impact on councils, among other options.
Mr Bennett said while the draft budget would be publicly exhibited from April 9 to May 15, it was likely to be "amended substantially as we become more affected by coronavirus."
He believed the full effect might not be known for 12 months.
"The reality is that this council is in a reasonably resistant place," he reported.
"We have worked hard over the past five years to ensure financial sustainability and to be responsive in a timely manner to changes affecting operations."
The council has over $90 million in investments. It has about $100m in capital works planned over the next four years, and $28m in loans for major projects. Corporate services director Brendan Hollands said this would still result in an "acceptable" debt service ratio of about 10pc, without considering the coronavirus impact.
Meantime, the council hopes to return its workforce to full operations on April 27. Work teams have been split to reduce health risks. In turn, some services have been reduced.
Mr Bennett said staff wouldn't get through the full operational plan this year but this was solely due to February's flood damage, estimated to cost $5m.
"The good news is that it is being fully funded by the state government but it will take considerable resources to complete," he said.
In related news, a trial is underway to send Goulburn Mulwaree's recycled waste to a Hume, ACT government operated facility. It follows Endeavour Industries' decision to suspend operations and its council contract due to coronavirus and the risk to workers, who have disabilities.
Mr Bennett said the Hume operators had offered to employ Endeavour workers if they were prepared to travel.
The council is continuing domestic recycling pick-ups and people can still take material to the waste management centre. Utilities director Marina Hollands said the council also had use of the Endeavour site but staff were not trained to use the Materials Recycling Facility equipment.
"We are looking to transport the material to Canberra with a combination of our own vehicles and contractors," Mr Bennett told the meeting.
"One of the difficulties is that when it is collected it is compacted but then when you let it go, it explodes to twice the volume, so we have to find vehicles capable of carting that to Canberra."
Councillors will continue their regular meeting schedule on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Mr Bennett had recommended that the April 21 and May 19 meetings be cancelled as a precaution.
But Cr Andrew Banfield moved the status quo, arguing there was low risk in Goulburn Mulwaree with only 10 confirmed cases. This has stayed stable since March 29 and as of April 7, five people had been cleared and were circulating back in the community.
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Louise Thrower
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
