Campaspe Shire Council has continued to stand united in its advocacy against a contentious levy set to impact Victorians from July 1.

At a meeting on Tuesday, June 17, the council provided an update on its opposition to the state government’s Emergency Services Volunteer Fund.

Mayor Daniel Mackrell said the levy was poorly designed, and the council should not be responsible for collecting it on behalf of the government.

“There is solid evidence that the Victorian Government has not thought through how this levy will adversely affect Victorians, our community, and our people,” he said.

“Though I welcome the support for our volunteers, I would be remiss if I did not say that the impost on our ratepayers is unjust.”

On the advice of the Municipal Association of Victoria, the council has been told it is legally obliged to collect the levy, and a separate invoice cannot be used to collect it.

The ESVF will replace the Fire Services Property Levy to fund a wider range of emergency services, including VICSES and Triple Zero Victoria.

While the government has announced a temporary reversal of the levy on primary production properties, the rate has almost doubled for residential properties.

The commercial rate has more than doubled, rising from 56.5 per cent per $1000 of capital improved value to 133 per cent.

Cr Rob Amos said it was projected $4.5 million would be raised by the levy in Campaspe, and there were concerns about how and whether that money would flow back to the community.

“I’m not sure how much of that’s going to go to our local CFA or our local SES,” he said.

“I think most of it is going to be siphoned off to Melbourne, to be spent there.”

Cr Jessica Mitchell said it was important to continue fighting the levy and the disproportionate burden it will place on the community amid a cost-of-living crisis.

“The introduction of this has already had implications on the CFA with a very obvious revolt against it,” she said.

“The mental health and wellbeing of our rural and regional communities should continue to be the priority.”

Multiple councils across regional and metropolitan Victoria have raised their opposition to the levy, which passed state parliament last month.

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