General News
13 April, 2025
UNDER FIRE PREMIER PUSHES ON
EXCLUSIVE LODDON HERALD READER POLL https://take. supersurvey. com/poll5460853x8cCc406C-162 By CHRIS EARL PREMIER Jacinta Allan has vowed to negotiate with Parliament’s crossbench to back the Government’s new emergency services tax that will push...
EXCLUSIVE LODDON HERALD READER POLL
https://take.supersurvey.com/poll5460853x8cCc406C-162
By CHRIS EARL
PREMIER Jacinta Allan has vowed to negotiate with Parliament’s crossbench to back the Government’s new emergency services tax that will push Loddon Shire ratepayer bills up 24 per cent.
The member for Bendigo East committed to push through with the controversial new levy and have councils as tax collection agents within hours of legislation stalling in State Parliament last Thursday.
Ms Allan batted off rising community and council anger across Victoria after opening the $17.6 million upgrades at East Loddon P12 College on Friday.
Loddon Shire councillors have told the Government to collect its own tax, fearing ratepayer backlash to the massive hike on rate notices that will be issued in September.
Victorian Farmers’ Federation wants the Government to rip up plans and start again in is bid to extend the current fire services levy to also fund 000, Forest Fire Management Victoria and other disaster response and government emergency authorities.
Loddon Mayor Dan Straub and CEO Lincoln Fitzgerald met with Ms Allan after Friday’s opening. They told the premier that preliminary modelling showed rate bills would jump 24 per cent and council would wear the grief.
“If council went to the State Government asking for a hike of that magnitude in our rates, it would be rejected,” one council source has told the Loddon Herald. “The Government is imposing this hike, making us collect an estimated $6 million next financial year and simply hand it over to Spring Street.”
But before those talks, Ms Allan told the Loddon Herald: “There’s no change to the collection mechanism and councils know that.”
Ms Allan said the Government now needed to negotiate with Upper House MPs asking they back the new tax “to support the SES along with fire services”.
The Government has been criticised for a doubling of the levy that councils must collect while the Government would handle primary residence rebates for volunteers.
The emergency services levy bill, if passed would double the current tax. Debate stalled and the bill was not put to a vote in Parliament last week.
Cr Straub described the meeting with Ms Allan as “a good robust discussion”.
“We explained the massive disadvantage this new levy will have on our ratepayers and also how our organisation will have to handle it,” Cr Straub said.
“The Government clearly believes the levy is necessary. The comment was that emergency services are asking for this. I am unaware of any such calls in the Loddon Shire.
“We will continue to be a voice of strong opposition and continue to lead discussions in our region as we have been doing all year.”
Cr Straub confirmed that preliminary modelling showed the new levy would be equivalent to a 24 per cent rate rise “but that rise will go to the Government”.
“We’re hopeful the Government will use this extra time to speak with rural councils and communities to better understand our concerns about the inequities built into this levy,” said Rural Councils Victoria chairman Rob Amos.
Victorian Farmers’ Federation president Brett Hosking said: “while farmers would be breathing a temporary sigh of relief, legitimate concerns still linger regarding the proposed cash-grab.”
“The VFF’s focus will remain on highlighting the very real destruction that this Bill will cause and making sure the government doesn’t steamroll through with a reckless decision,” Mr Hosking said.