Council's response to the Emergency Services Levy

Council believes the amendments to the Victorian Government’s Emergency Services Volunteer Fund Levy (ESVF) are deeply unfair and inequitable for our community.

We have been calling on Government to rethink this excessive tax since February 2025 and haven't let up since, we will continue to object to being forced to collect the levy.

The introduction of this levy will hit hard for those already experiencing hardship in our rural communities. Many residents are already grappling with cost-of-living pressures, the financial and physical effects of storm and fire events and drought conditions.

Our Call to Action

Council urges the State Government to:

1. Shift levy collection responsibilities to the State Government.
2. Reassess the funding model so rural areas aren't disproportionately footing the bill for emergency services.
3. Guarantee that funds taken from rural communities are returned to those same local areas.

We request an urgent review of this levy and welcome the opportunity to collaborate on a more sustainable and equitable approach to funding emergency services.

See below for Council's advocacy on this issue so far.