GANNAWARRA Shire Council last week voted to oppose the emergency services tax.
Mayor Garner Smith said: “Council will also lobby the State Government to collect the levy via the State Revenue Office.
 “Many of our residents have already indicated that they will not pay the levy as part of their municipal rates, which will leave council to effectively be a debt collector for the State Government,” Cr Smith said.
 “Council’s ability to provide services our residents rely on will also be impacted if we are asked to collect this levy. Any funds not collected will result in us being in debt to the State Government, which will affect how we fund our local services.”
In Northern Grampians, Mayor Karen Hyslop said she was full of outrage and disbelief following the passing of the Fire Services Property Amendment (Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund) Bill 2025 last week. 
She said she was deeply concerned about the effects the new tax would have on residents’ capacity to pay, the council’s ability to collect it and the region’s already-stressed economy. 
The tax replaces the current Fire Services Property Levy and starts on July 1, with the cost added to council rate notices. The variable rate at which the levy is calculated is more than doubled in most instances, with primary producers the hardest hit. 
“The fund will affect all Victorians, with increases affecting all residents – but no one will feel the full brunt of this enormous financial burden more than farmers,” Cr Hyslop said. 
“It is incredibly unjust to impose further pressure on a group of people who are already struggling with the crippling cost of drought and everyday living.  
“On top of the dramatically increased cost of inputs over the past five years, without the increase of revenue to match it, farmers are currently also paying to cart water, feed stock – some can’t even afford to pay themselves a wage right now, and yet, the government is demanding they pay more and more – it’s outrageous. 
“Our farmers certainly understand the importance of funding emergency services, particularly firefighting efforts. Many of our farmers double as volunteer firefighters and when needed, drop everything on their farm to help protect life and property – whether they are personally affected or not,”  Cr Hyslop said in a statement.