Eight mayors join forces against emergency services tax
Published on 21 May 2025
Six Western District Mayors will gather at Mortlake on Wednesday to present a united front against the State Government’s Emergency Services Volunteer Fund levy.
They included:
- Corangamite Shire Mayor Kate Makin
- Moyne Shire Mayor Karen Foster
- Warrnambool City Mayor Ben Blain
- Colac Otway Shire Mayor Jason Schram
- Pyrenees Shire Mayor Tanya Kehoe
- Ararat Rural City Mayor Jo Armstrong
Two others, Southern Grampians Shire Mayor Dennis Heslin and Glenelg Shire Mayor Karen Stephens were unable to attend but gave their full support to the campaign.
Together, they called for the State Government to:
- Reassess the funding model to ensure fairness for rural communities.
- Assure revenue would be spent in the communities where it was raised
- Shift levy collection responsibilities to the State Government.
- Compensate councils if they must continue administering the levy.
- Improve communication on the levy’s purpose and use.
The Mayors all called for an urgent review and said their respective councils were willing to work with the government on a fairer, more sustainable funding approach.
The passing of the Fire Services Property Amendment (Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund) Bill 2025 last week was met with outrage from farmers and Country Fire Authority volunteers.
Rallies have been held around the state calling for the government to roll back the ESVF which expands on the Fire Services Levy to VICSES and Fire Rescue Victoria at disproportionately greater cost to rural landowners.
Quotes attributable to Corangamite Shire Mayor Kate Makin
“This levy, as it stands, is unfair and poorly targeted. It shifts the burden onto rural and regional communities who are already doing it tough with rising fuel, feed, and equipment costs, and unpredictable weather.
“The scheme is asking farmers and small-town families to bankroll services they may never see. We have no guarantee the city—which has the most emergency demand—won’t get the lion’s share of revenue raised in the regions.
“The promised rebates are only payable on landowners’ principal place of residence or farm. Most farmers need multiple unconnected paddocks to be viable so they’ll be paying thousands of dollars to volunteer; paying to give up productive time on their own farm; paying to risk their lives.”
Quotes attributable to Moyne Shire Mayor Karen Foster
“Parts of south west Victoria, including in Moyne Shire, continue to experience record low rainfall, placing a heavy financial and emotional toll upon our rural communities and economy. Adding this levy will further affect farmers’ capacity to sustainably care for their families, livestock and environment.
“Regional Councils Victoria’s analysis shows that more than double the current levy is to be taken from our rural communities, already impacted by green drought, bushfires and recent years of higher inflation.
“I urge the State Government to find a more equitable solution.”
Quotes attributable to Warrnambool City Mayor Ben Blain
“And in applying this tax the Victorian Government is turning Councils into tax collection agencies and hurting regional Victorians.
“When CFA volunteers hang up their uniforms and say enough is enough, you know there’s a problem.
“The new tax is cost-shifting, it’s unreasonable and there has to be a fairer way of funding a service that is as essential as any other emergency service.
“It will rip a further $60 million from the 10 regional Victorian cities alone, with the 2025-2026 cost to residents of the fund projected to be almost $176 million, a 50 per cent increase on the $116.5 million paid in 2024-2025.
“Over recent decades we have seen Councils asked to contribute more to services that used to be entirely or mostly funded by the Victorian Government: libraries, school crossings, maternal and child health services, kindergarten infrastructure, waste services and environmental protection.”
Quotes attributable to Colac Otway Shire Mayor Jason Schram
“Under the new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund model, households will pay a significant increase in state government tax compared to last year; some of our primary producers will pay a 500 per cent increase on the current rate, which is not acceptable.
“We lobbied hard and unanimously as councils to our representatives to stop this tax increase, and for them to ignore the people is beyond contempt.
“I will continue to fight for the people in our community, especially our famers.
“It will be a nightmare for local government to collect this tax; the administration and our reputation.”
Quotes attributable to Glenelg Shire Mayor Karen Stephens
“These changes are just tinkering around the edges of this levy and are insulting to those primary producers already struggling through one of the driest seasons on record.
“The financial effect of introducing the ESVF on our community will have ripple effects and impact local economies, service provision and community wellbeing.
“Our analysis shows the ESVF as passed will still strip an estimated $3 million from our community.
“We had sought assurances that any money collected would be directly distributed to the regions it was collected from, but that does not appear to be happening. This is exceptionally disappointing.”
“We want the funding model reassessed to ensure it does not disproportionately burden rural communities and we will continue to advocate for a fairer outcome for our communities.”
Quotes attributable to Pyrenees Shire Mayor Tanya Kehoe
“This Bill will not just impact one resident but every resident. It will greatly affect our farming community, mentally and financially, and have a ricochet effect on the whole community. We are fighting for a fairer distribution of this levy and we, as Councils, are uniting to help protect and support our residents.”
Quotes attributable to Ararat Rural City Mayor Jo Armstrong
““This travesty of a tax is going at the very heart of our community, already inflicting deep distress, anger, and real pain on those struggling through tough economic times and the ongoing drought.
“The rate reduction for primary producers offers no substantial respite as it remains an exorbitant burden on rural communities, many of whose members are the very people who bravely risk their lives to protect our community.
“This tax also raises critical questions about our community’s sustainability. How will our volunteer organisations cope when the good will that supports them cannot be sustained? How will those on fixed incomes manage amid rising living costs? How will renters afford their housing when landlords are forced to pass on increased expenses?
“Ararat Rural City Council's collection of the ESVF for the State Government is projected to increase by approximately $2.3 million, reaching over $5 million next financial year, nearly double the $2.7 million collected under the previous levy.
“The absence of prior modelling, the disregard for council resources, and the lack of commitment to ensure these funds are returned to our community is appalling. We are vehemently opposed to this tax.”
Quotes attributable to Southern Grampians Shire Mayor Dennis Heslin
Quotes to follow.