Victims of recent bush fires in Australia accuse their council of taking advantage of them as the council refuse to waive fees.
The victims lost everything they had on the bush fires, and yet they received a quote with huge council fees as they rebuild their homes.
Other councils have waived their fees to help the victims get back on their feet, such as the Bega Valley, Blue Mountains and Shoalhaven City Council.
One resident argues that the council’s management had shown a complete lack of empathy when dealing with the unfortunate situation.
The said resident received a quote for about $10,000 in fees alone, which includes a construction certificate, long service levy, and development application.
To them, it is a struggle to rebuild since the fires destroyed all their properties and businesses, which is why they find it ridiculous for the council to refuse to waive council fees.
Around 60 homes was destroyed and 250 was razed in the Wingecarribee Shire Council this bush fire season.
According to Wingecarribee Mayor Duncan Gair, the residents may no longer use the previous building plans since many of the houses destroyed are more than 50 years old.
He said that their response has been in fact exemplary, for having distributed $30,000 of the mayoral relief fund in 24 hours.
The council’s mayoral relief fund contributed $50,000 and they received about $45,000 in public donations, and $1 million in disaster grant.
There will be a meeting on Wednesday to vote on how they will properly utilize and distribute the said mayoral relief funds.
As of today, the Wingecarribee Shire Council has not yet commented on this issue.
Australia’s 2019 / 2020 bush fire season death toll as of January 25 rises to 33 confirmed deaths, with 25 deaths in New South Wales, five in Victoria and three in South Australia.