Campaspe Shire Council, Media Release, 16 May 2025
Campaspe Shire Council is deeply disheartened by the passing of the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund (ESVF) by the Victorian Parliament. While we wholeheartedly support the necessity of funding for volunteers, Campaspe Shire Council, alongside numerous other Victorian councils, vehemently opposed the introduction of this fund. We firmly believe it imposes an unjust and disproportionate financial burden on rural and regional areas, with no assurance that the funds collected from our communities will be reinvested into our local emergency services.
The introduction of the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) will have significant implications for the mental health of rural and regional communities. The increased financial burden imposed by this tax will exacerbate stress and anxiety among farmers, pensioners, and other residents who are already facing economic and environmental challenges. Many residents are still dealing with the emotional and psychological impacts of a natural disaster that has upended their lives. To now face an additional financial burden, imposed despite widespread community and parliamentary opposition feels deeply unjust and demoralising.
The implications of this fund are severe. Farmers, many of whom are SES or CFA volunteers themselves, are expected to face an alarming increase compared with the former Fire Service Levy. Millions will be extracted from our community, only to be funnelled directly into state revenue, bypassing any local benefit. This state government tax is a direct hit to our rural communities, with none of the collected funds retained by the Councils.
We call for a fair approach to the redistribution of this tax that ensures the funds raised from rural communities are reinvested back into those same communities to support their emergency services. Our community deserves support and compassion, not additional hurdles and hardships.
We urge our community to sign an online petition requesting that the Legislative Council call on the Government to immediately cease the introduction of the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund, please visit: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/petitions/emergency-services-and-volunteers-fund/.
