Following the Victorian Government’s announcement of the Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund in late 2024, Campaspe Shire Council will advocate against its implementation.

At the Tuesday, March 18 council meeting, councillors unanimously voted in favour of raising its concerns about the fund.

Victorian ratepayers currently pay an annual Fire Service Property Levy to the Victorian revenue officer, collected by councils through their rate notices.

This levy is a contribution to the CFA and Fire Rescue Victoria, covering the majority of both organisations’ budgets.

The state government is looking to change the FSPL from July 2025, replacing this with the Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund.

The new fund extends coverage to VICSES, Triple Zero Victoria, State Control Centre, Emergency Recovery Victoria and Emergency Management Victoria.

In turn, the rate paid will increase by 33 per cent for residential properties, 66 per cent for commercial properties, 45 per cent for industrial properties, 109 per cent for primary production properties and three per cent for public benefit properties.

The current median liability, or rate owed, by a residential property owner is $191 per year. This will jump to $254 under the ESVF.

Likewise, for primary production ratepayers, the median liability now is $621, increasing to $1299 with the ESFV in place.

Campaspe Shire Council manager of finance and investment Kristopher Kershaw is concerned about the impacts of the new fund for residents and council.

“Ratepayers themselves are actually being hit quite hard by this overall increase,” he said.

“From a council perspective, we have increases as well.

“There’s not just the actual dollar impact here as well ... we have to administer all of this as well, and all the extra work has to be done to get it up and running.

“It’s an impost on our staff and systems across the board.”

Campaspe Shire Council will collectively pay $6.54 million in 2024-25 for the FSPL, growing to $10.72 million for 2025-26 under ESVF.

Chief executive Pauline Gordon is disappointed by a lack of consultation with councils, who will be the ones to collect the funds.

“I was advised just before Christmas that this was going to occur,” she said.

“It’s just the one rates notice that goes out ... there is advocacy for a separate, explanatory notice.

“But actually, the advocacy is for it not to happen, so we’re very strong on that.”

An important reason why council is advocating against the change is due to a lack of information about where the money will go.

While council collects the funds on behalf of the state government, there is no guarantee the funding stays in the area or supports local emergency services.

“We’ve had no indication of how that money is distributed,” Ms Gordon said.

“So here’s $10 million coming out of Campaspe, where does that go? What is it actually funding? We would like to know.

“I think our residents deserve to know how that money is going to be used because we are our accountable for our rates.”

Furthermore, while the average residential property owner will pay 33 per cent more through ESVF, a council rates cap of 2.75 per cent was set by the state government for 2024-25 and of 3 per cent in 2025-26.

This means that, while council rates can only increase marginally, the state government’s ESVF is 12 times higher than this cap on residential ratepayers.

Council is looking for community support against the change to the levy, with councillors passing a motion to raise concerns with the Victorian premier.

“We’re seeking the community to actually get behind councils and advocate that this is inappropriate,” Ms Gordon said.

“It’s an impost on local government that the state government should be visible in saying this is a tax that they’re imposing on people.”

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Sunday, 15th December 2024

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