SouthWest Victoria Alliance (SWVA) is calling out the new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) for what it is – unfair, unreasonable, and a massive hit to our communities.

This new levy is now baked into the Victorian Budget, delivered today by Treasurer Jaclyn Symes. The budget did very little for rural communities and the south-west.

For farmers and primary producers already doing it tough, the levy could be the last straw. Especially on top of prolonged and severe drought pressures and rising costs across the board.

This highlights the urgent need for a fair and equitable funding model that supports, rather than penalises, the communities who form the backbone of Victoria’s emergency response capabilities.

Across the SWVA region, comprising the Shires of Corangamite, Colac Otway, Moyne, Glenelg and Southern Grampians and the City of Warrnambool, there will be a doubling of payments to the state government in the transition from the Fire Services Levy to the ESVF – that’s a 100% increase, on average.  

By shifting the collection of the ESVF onto local councils, the Victorian Government is turning them into tax collectors, putting more pressure on rural ratepayers already stretched thin.

CFA volunteers, who already give their time and raise their own funds to protect their communities, are now facing higher costs. Many are walking away, and it’s putting lives and communities at risk.

With communities in our region facing a record-breaking drought, the commitment to delay the levy increase for one year for affected primary producers only serves to add to the stress and worry our farmers are facing about the future.

This tax hurts our communities, and SWVA is calling on the government to find a better way.

“It’s time for the Victorian Government to rethink this,” said Cr Ben Blain, Chair of SouthWest Victoria Alliance.

“Our communities deserve a fair go, and a fairer way to fund emergency services.”