Some relief could be in sight for thousands of trade and construction industry workers on the Central Coast with a recent announcement from the State Government that up to 200,000 licence holders state wide will have their licence fees waived.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said the move was good news for many of the region’s small businesses and tradies.
He said the move would result in $50M in fee waivers to tradies across NSW for 12 months.
From April 15, new application and renewal fees were waived for home building contractors, trade or specialist contractors and motor vehicle repairers.
From April 20, fees were waived for tattooist licences, building supervisor certificates, trades certificates and motor vehicle trade certificates.
Fees will be waived for the minimum renewal term and will be automatically waived during the 12-month relief period, meaning there will be no charges when making a new application or applying to renew a licence.
Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch, welcomed the move and urged all Central Coast tradies to take up the opportunity.
“The Central Coast has over 20,000 trade workers, making it the second most common occupation in the region, and I encourage all of them to take advantage of this offer,” Tesch said.
“The opportunity to wave fees goodbye over the next 12 months will help our locals feel some relief in their back pockets and gain back some confidence during this tough economic period.
“The Central Coast is a constantly developing area and our tradies are at the core of our growth.
“I’ve had many conversations with local families facing challenges after losing their job and now living off one income from their essential tradies who are still able to work.
“It’s a situation all of us would have never seen ourselves in and a story that is now all too common.
“Not having to fork out the usual fee of $465 for a building contractor and $235 for a trade of specialist contractor I hope will make a difference for our families doing it tough.
“The end to this global pandemic might seem far away but it is so important to remember that once this over, we will get back on our feet again and we can prepare for our future in ways like this”, Tesch added.
Source:
Media release, Apr 16
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch
Media release, Apr 23
Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch