At its Tuesday 18 March meeting, Mount Alexander Shire Council (MASC) passed a motion to write to the State Government with objections to the proposed introduction of the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund Levy (ESVFL) in its current form. This comes as Rural Councils Victoria continues to push for a significant redesign of the levy, which it calls “unfair” and “flawed”.
Council moved to write to the Victorian Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Emergency Services, Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Treasurer regarding the new levy that the State Government has advised will be effective as of 1 July 2025. It listed concerns including negative financial impacts to the shire community, lack of clarity around implementation and fears that since councils are required to collect the levy, they will be “blamed for the significant levy fees”.
In her Council Meeting Wrap video online, MASC Mayor Rosie Annear described the ESVFL as a new tax. “It is going to hit particularly our farmers and our commercial sector quite hard, with big, big increases to that tax. The other thing is that councils are required to collect this tax on behalf of state government and the burden that is going to put on us is also huge,” Mayor Annear said. “So we are pushing back a little bit because of the burden to our ratepayers, which we don’t think is ok, and the burden to council that we also don’t think is ok.”
Meanwhile Rural Councils Victoria (RCV) has undertaken analysis based on data received from councils, which it says reveals flaws and inequity in the design of the levy. RCV claims that its analysis shows that, compared to the former Fire Services Levy, the ESVFL will cost rural communities nearly $140 million extra per annum. The organisation, which is a network of 38 regional councils across the state, says that the new levy represents an average increase for primary producers of 154 per cent, while rural residents would see an average increase of 31 per cent and commercial operators would be required to pay 65 per cent more.
MASC’s motion stated that it considers the new levy is being rushed without consideration of the impacts on regional communities and local governments, plus it believes that the levy should be administered in full by the State Revenue Office. Council noted that the relevant legislation had not yet been passed by the Victorian Parliament, “therefore, the opportunity to pursue changes exists.” The bill to enact the ESVFL has since passed the Legislative Assembly and had its second reading on Thursday 20 March in the Victorian Legislative Council.
A community forum to provide information and discuss the ESVFL took place at Baringhup Hall on Wednesday 26 March. The Tarrangower Times will provide a report on the forum in next week’s edition of the paper.
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 28 March 2025
