The Northern Grampians Shire Council's financial hardship policy is likely to be extended for nine months, when councillors meet for the last time before elections on Monday.
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The unscheduled meeting will also consider community feedback on a new draft council Arts policy, and other urgent business the council needs to complete before going into caretaker mode from Tuesday.
The hardship policy, adopted in June, involves the council reducing interest, fees, charges and registrations in the order of $250,000.
It is available to residents finding it hard to pay these expenses due to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The policy is set to expire on September 30, with staff recommending that councillors extend it until June 30 2021.
Mayor Murray Emerson said the program had not been "a sensation" since it began, but expected this to change.
"We have had a number of people access it, but hasn't been extensive," he said.
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"We believe it will be used more extensively once we start coming out of (the pandemic). When people start understanding what their difficulties are in reopening and things like that, so we are going through it again to make sure people understand it is available to them."
Councillor will also decide whether to withdraw from the Rural Councils Transformation program, which saw it partner with three other councils in its area in a bid to help all four save on operating costs.
In August, the City of Ballarat suggested to Local Government Victoria that the program was no longer viable and should be discontinued.
The council's meeting agenda states "There is a commitment to continue to progress the sharing of services across the region".
More to come.
Stawell, Ararat residents share in $70 million federal support
On Wednesday, member for Wannon Dan Tehan released local details on the Australian Government's Economic Support Payments.
These were paid automatically to people who were eligible in March and April, and again in July 2020.
Mr Tehan said Wannon residents received $70 million of the $8.8 billion spent on payments.
"These Economic Support Payments are part of the broader plan we are delivering to keep Australia moving forward," he said in a statement.
In the electorate of Mallee, which encompasses St Arnaud, member Dr Anne Webster said the government made 103,000 payments or almost $77 million. The electorate also includes Maryborough, Horsham, Edenhope, Mildura and Swan Hill.
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Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
