Small hospitality business owners in the shire are expressing relief following the latest Narromine Council meeting where the fees and charges for health inspections were changed.
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Business owners were concerned when they heard the charges for health inspections were due to rise in the 2014/2015 financial year. Concerned Coffee Shop owner, Sharyn McMahon, said she heard the charges could have gone over $200.
"It takes half an hour in my little shop," she said.
"He (the inspector) has never had a problem, never had to write anything down."
Ms McMahon said she was recently billed $180 by the council for an inspection.
"Some weeks I don't even make $180," she said.
"They should support small local business in Narromine. It's too regulated, we don't have to have this charge."
Narromine Deli's Gai Prosser agreed.
Cr Dawn Collins voiced these concerns at the June extraordinary meeting for budgets.
"Businesses will close down with these high charges," she said regarding the original proposal.
"We don't want to see these businesses close. They're not objecting to inspections.''
Cr Sue McCutcheon agreed.
"Bring it down slightly. We do want coffee shops and delis in our town. We don't want to impede on economic development," she said.
Council came back to the matter in the following meeting and agreed on a $50 nominal charge for compliant businesses.
At the July ordinary meeting the council passed the following motion to change the fees and charges.
"That council adopt the fee set out in option two, $70 per hour inspection for medium and high risk premises plus $58 administration fee in this report and $50 nominal fee for low risk premises in this report for inclusion of the 2014/2015 Fees and Charges for the recovery of costs associated with inspection of food premises in the Shire," the motion read.
"Amended fee structure for the inspection of food premises should be placed on public exhibition and further report presented to August 2014 meeting of council."
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