Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund Advocacy

What is the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund?

The Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) is a new State Government charge that will replace the Fire Services Property Levy (FSPL) to fund CFA, Fire Rescue Victoria, VICSES, Triple Zero Victoria, and other emergency services.

This is NOT a Council charge. It is a mandatory levy set by the Victorian Government but will be collected by local councils through rates notices.

How will this affect you?

The new ESVF represents a significant increase compared to the previous Fire Services Property Levy:

• Residential properties: Average increase of 29%
• Commercial properties: Average increase of 63%
• Primary producers/farmers: (Government has agreed to pause increase for primary producers for 12 months)

These increases come at a time when many in our community are already facing rising costs of living pressures. While Council's rates are capped at a 3% increase for the coming year, this State Government levy has no such restrictions.

Our Position

At its February 2025 meeting, Council passed a motion calling on the Victorian Government to:

1. Reduce the tax burden to a reasonable increase aligned with CPI
2. Remove the requirement for local councils to collect this levy
3. Confirm that funds collected will benefit local emergency service organizations

We believe this levy is fundamentally unfair for several reasons:

• Rural communities like ours are disproportionately impacted
• The heaviest burden falls on our farmers and primary producers
• Local councils are being forced to collect a State Government tax, causing confusion about responsibility for increased charges
• There are no guarantees that money raised will support local CFA and SES services

Advocating for Change

We are not alone in our concerns. Rural Councils Victoria has highlighted that this new levy will take $139M from rural communities annually, with approximately $2.7M from our community alone. We are joining with other rural councils across Victoria to advocate strongly against this inequitable tax.

Current Status

The new levy will come into effect from 1 July, 2025. We anticipate community concern when this levy appears on rate notices and want to ensure our residents understand that:

1. This is a State Government charge, not a Council charge
2. Council is required by law to collect this levy on behalf of the State Government
3. All funds collected, including any interest accumulated, are paid directly to the State Government

If you have concerns about this new levy, we encourage you to contact your local State Government representative.

What happens if you don't pay the full amount:

• State legislation requires any partial payments to be automatically split on a pro-rata basis between Council rates and ESVF - you cannot choose to pay only the council portion
• Your account will show an outstanding balance for both council rates and ESVF, with council rates being more affected than the state government portion
• You become liable for interest payments on any uncollected money at the penalty rate set by the State Government (currently 10%)
• Council's finances are significantly impacted when we can't collect the full amount
• This affects our ability to provide services and infrastructure to the community

Payment options:

• Pay the full amount (council rates + ESVF) in one payment, OR
• Split across four instalments
• Payment plans are available if you're experiencing financial difficulty

You may be entitled to a rebate

CFA and VICSES volunteers and life members may be entitled to a rebate. Further information about the ESVF, and rebates, can be found at Emergency services and volunteers fund | State Revenue Office