Levy changes are not fair

Published on 16 May 2025

Glenelg Shire Council does not believe amendments to the Victorian Government’s Emergency Services Volunteer Fund Levy (ESVF) are fair and will continue to lobby for change.

The ESVF became law this week, after passing through Parliament, following extensive lobbying for change by councils, farmer groups and emergency service volunteers.

However, Glenelg Shire Council believes the amendments – which include a small reduction in the variable rate for Primary Production Land and an as-yet unspecified ‘implementation package’ for councils who will bear the administrative burden of collecting the tax – do not go far enough.

Mayor Karen Stephens said many Glenelg Shire residents, especially farmers suffering through the drought, were already doing it tough.

“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,” she said.

“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.”

Cr Stephens said Council was also still in the dark as to the details of the ‘implementation package’ announced by the Government that was supposed to help with the administrative burden.

“This doesn’t change the fact that we are supposed to collect it on the State Government’s behalf, when a far more efficient method would be for it to use its own State Revenue Office, as it does with the land tax, windfall gains tax and others,” she said.

“Instead we are unfairly positioned as enforcers of a state-imposed tax, as well as imposing a further cost burden on our ratepayers through the ESVF’s administration.”

Council made its concerns known to Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen and the Treasurer Jaclyn Symes in a letter in February, following a Council resolution at its January Meeting.

Cr Stephens said Council would continue to lobby for changes to the ESVF until statewide concerns were properly addressed.

“Our concerns haven’t changed,” she said.

“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.”