Carey Brennan, The Buloke Times
Angry farmers and CFA members from all over Victoria gathered on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne on Tuesday to protest the proposed new tax by the State Government.
This bigger protest followed the Bendigo and Melbourne CFA member protests on Friday where fire trucks blockaded Jacinta Allan’s office in Bendigo and parked at the front of Parliament House in Melbourne.
Local farmers stepped off their tractors and took time out from sowing crops to come together to encourage the cross bench MPs to vote against the Emergency Services and Volunteers levy, which will be collected by Local Government through rates notices for all landowners in Victoria.
The proposed levy will replace the already increased Fire Services Levy currently paid by all landowners. The new levy will increase all residential properties by 99 per cent, commercial properties by 100 per cent and all farm land by 189 per cent, it is calculated on the Capital Improved Value of the property. This unfair and inequitable tax comes from a desperate State Government which is trying to make a bad budget look better when it is released next week.
Rally organiser, Rupanyup Farmer, Andrew Weidemann started proceedings and introduced the speakers. Peter Marshall, secretary, United Firefighters Union, spoke about the need for better funding for firefighting and emergency services, but stated that the billions that would be raised from ratepayers through this levy would not be used to fund FRV, CFA and SES groups as claimed. He also said that it greatly disrespected our volunteer CFA firefighters by asking them to pay for the privilege of being a member, when they willingly give up their time to attend major fires like the recent Grampians fires.
Marshall’s comments were supported by Brad Battin, MP, Leader of the Liberal Party and Coalition, Danny O’Brien, MP, Leader of the National Party, Emma Kealy, MP, Member for Lowan and Deputy Leader of the National Party, Brett Hosking, VFF President and Kevin Butler, Farmer and Founder of Blaze Aid.
The rally was well supported by MPs from the Opposition and cross benches. Many of the regional MPs have been dealing with the fallout of this proposed tax during community meetings where the farmers appear to be bearing the heaviest burden that would see them paying thousands of dollars at a time when many require assistance due to severe drought, especially in the south-west of the State. There were no Labor MPs attending the rally, despite having been invited.
The vote on this new tax has been moved for a second time to Thursday, 15th, as the Labor Party has not had the numbers to push it through the Senate.
This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 16 May 2025.
