Agriculture
15 May, 2025
Absolute disgrace: Immediate reaction to new emergency services tax
The State Government's emergency services tax has been passed in Parliament with local rates bill still tipped to jump up to 25 per cent as the government scambles to justify the tax that had support from MPs representing Loddon communities -...
The State Government's emergency services tax has been passed in Parliament with local rates bill still tipped to jump up to 25 per cent as the government scambles to justify the tax that had support from MPs representing Loddon communities - Greens' Sarah
VFF president Brett Hosking said: "While the government has announced a 16 per cent reduction in the levy for farmers and a temporary pause for those in drought-declared areas, these concessions do little to ease the broader burden that will be felt across regional and rural Victoria."
Loddon Herald readers have been quick to vent anger. Jill Hobbs labelled the Government's move an absolute disgrace with Cath Gamble said: "What a disaster! Hope your proud of yourself Jacinta...Watch all the farmers suffer more."
According to the State Government, its media release this afternoon said:
The Allan Labor Government is giving hardworking emergency services the funding and equipment they need – so that communities can respond and recover from floods, fires and storms.
Victoria is one of the most fire-prone areas in the world, and natural disasters are becoming more frequent and severe – and the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) will deliver our emergency services what they need to respond to these disasters.
Through the ESVF, the Labor Government will invest $110 million to deliver a rolling fleet replacement program for VICSES and the CFA – and now Fire Rescue Victoria.
Fire Rescue Victoria’s $40 million rolling fleet replacement program will ensure firefighters get new appliances to keep doing what they do best.
VICSES volunteers across Victoria will be better equipped for the future with the first round of new Next Generation Medium Rescue Trucks to be delivered to units in Glen Eira, Geelong, Alexandra, Kinglake, Essendon, Chelsea, Otway, Beechworth, Kyabram and Murrayville.
CFA brigades in Darraweit Guim, Corop West, Barmah, Erica, Lubeck, Goroke, Crowlands, Modewarre, Kawarren and Moe South will also be the first recipients of new Medium Tankers funded through the ESVF.
Because our emergency services volunteers give our state so much, eligible CFA and VICSES volunteers and life members will be able to access arebate, administered bythe Department of Government Services.
Eligible volunteers include all active VICSES and CFA Operational and Support Volunteers.To be eligible for the rebate, volunteers will need to have served for at least 12 months, have passed probation, and not be suspended on disciplinary grounds or have taken a leave of absence for the duration of the preceding 12 months.
After consultation with councils, emergency services and the Victorian Farmers Federation the Labor Government will also:
Reduce the variable rate for Primary Production Land from 83c/$1,000 Capital Improved Value (CIV) to 71.8c/$1,000 CIV – reducing the liability payable by farmers.
Guarantee in legislation that 95 per cent of VICSES and CFA funding will come from ESVF and 90 per cent of FRV’s annual funding will come from the levy.
Legislate to make it clear that every single dollar collected from the levy must be spent on emergency services.
Boost transparency by reporting annually how much money has been collected by the ESVF and how that money will be spent.
Commit to working on an implementation package for local councils, including funding for the Municipal Association of Victoria
Provide partial rebates of the ESVF for farmers eligible for the infrastructure grants program in the Government’s drought support package.
Every single dollar raised by this new fund will support our emergency services – helping them to keep communities safe year-round.
EARLIER
THE STATE Government has pushed back debate on the contentious emergency services tax to today.
Tuesday’s scheduled debate in the Legislative Council was abandoned as 300 volunteer firefighters rallied on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne.
Groups from the Wedderburn and Boort districts travelled by train to the protest, the third in five days, against the tax that will raise the hit on farmers by 187 per cent and add 24.7 per cent to Loddon Shire rate notices.
Victorian Farmers’ Federation president Brett Hosking told protesters the new tax, double the old fire services levy, would hit farmers and country communities.
Mr Hosking said the economic impacts would be felt by sporting and service clubs in rural towns.
Nationals’ leader Danny O’Brien labelled the emergency services tax unjust and said it was a disgrace on the Government’s part that farmers had been forced to travel to Melbourne and protest.
He said the Government had deferred debate “because it doesn’t have the numbers”.
Premier Jacinta Allan needs the support of crossbenchers to pass the Bill through the Legislative Council before it is to start on July 1.
One Nation’s Northern Victoria Region MP Ricki Lee Tyrrell last week told the Loddon Herald she opposed the tax while Western Victoria Region Greens’ MP Sarah Mansfield would not reveal her stance.
Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell on Friday told the Loddon Herald that she was aware of significant community concerns and was “trying to strike a balance”.
“The crossbench is in discussions (with the Government) on amendments,” said Ms Purcell who represents northern Loddon communities.
Rallies in Bendigo and Melbourne have called for the controversial tax to be scrapped.
Mr Hosking and rally organisers have urged rural residents to contact MPs ahead of today’s vote. “There’s already been a huge amount of noise about this, and rightly so. The proposed changes are simply unfair on farmers who are already under pressure from rising input costs, rate hikes and climate challenges” he said.