Farmers and rural councils continue to push back against the Victorian Government’s controversial emergency services levy despite news of a reprieve for farmers.
On May 30, the government announced it would cap its Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund levy at the 2024/25 rate for primary production properties for the 2025-26 financial year.
Hitting pause for farmers responds to significant backlash to the increased levy hitting primary producers and rural areas the hardest. It sparked public displays of dispirit from emergency service volunteers and protests on the steps of Parliament House.
The fund replaces the cheaper fire services levy and is designed to raise revenue for an increased number of services such as those for fire, State Emergency Service, triple-0 and the state control centre.
According to Macedon Ranges Council CEO Bernie O’Sullivan, past budgets indicate that most of those new entities added to benefit from the tax, if not all, are currently funded to varying degrees through other state taxes.
Before the Victorian Government announced any reprieve for farmers, the council expected the levy to raise an additional $4.5 million from the Macedon Ranges in 2025-26.
Last month, MRSC resolved to write to an extensive list of authorities, including the Victorian Premier, MAV, Rural Councils Victoria and fellow rural councils, to advise council’s objection to the levy’s introduction as it stood, and oppose council’s imposed role in collecting the funds.
At that meeting, Cr Andrew Scanlon said the Victorian Government had “really misread the room” on the introduction of the levy.
“There are a lot of people in our regions that are really hurting – including myself,” he said.
“We’ve had very low rainfall and we’ve really suffered trying to feed stock. Things are grim out in the bush.”
Cr Alison Joseph backed the council’s move to oppose the levy.
“I really support the SES and volunteers in these organisations, but I believe the state government is using them to justify this tax and it’s really an unfair tax grab,” she said.
Mayor Dom Bonanno, an SES volunteer himself, said the levy was a “kick in the guts for farmers” and called for the tax to be scrapped.
“This, in my view, is a bad tax made worse by a government using local government to do its dirty work,” he said.
The Victorian Farmers Federation stated the 12-month reprieve for farmers was a “step in the right direction”. VFF said it would “use this time to push that it needs to be scrapped entirely”.
FORUM ON
MRSC will host an all-councillor listening post and forum regarding the ESVF levy and drought conditions, to be held at Newham Fire Brigade Station on Sunday, June 15, at 11.30am to 2pm.
Join councillors, council staff and partner agencies for a session to examine how the the drought and ESVF is affecting the region and how people can advocate locally for a better outcome.
All community members, local farmers, volunteers and service providers are invited. Parking will be available at the nearby Newham Mechanics Institute and Newham Primary School.
RSVPs are encouraged to assist with catering to: comms@mrsc.vic.gov.au
