Six local councils have joined forces to oppose the Victorian Government’s proposed Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) levy.
The councils met with Upper House Member for Western Victoria, Sarah Mansfield MLC, to voice their concerns and urge her to vote against the State Government’s proposed new tax, which will hit ratepayers with huge increases on their rates notice.
The controversial Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) legislation, which will significantly impact farmers and commercial ratepayers, has already passed the Lower House, and requires the support of the opposition or six members of the crossbench to pass.
If passed, the ESVF replaces the existing Fire Services Property Levy, and would, as an example, see ratepayers in Greater Geelong, Surf Coast and Colac Otway Shires alone pay almost $30 million extra on their rates notices.
The levy proposes to fund vital emergency services, however it is not clear where the money will go, and councils are concerned about the crippling impact on ratepayers and are also objecting to being the State Government’s tax collectors.
Yesterday’s meeting saw Colac Otway Shire Mayor Jason Schram, Golden Plains Shire Acting Mayor Helena Kirby and acting chief executive Steve Sagona, Surf Coast Shire Mayor Mike Bodsworth and chief executive Robyn Seymour, Borough of Queenscliffe Mayor Di Rule and chief executive Martin Gill, and Wyndham City chief executive Stephen Wall come together to advocate collectively alongside City of Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM, chief executive Ali Wastie, and advocate and Ararat Rural City Councillor Rob Armstrong.
Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM:
We’ve brought together councils covering Werribee to Colac and Apollo Bay to Queenscliff and everywhere in between to collectively oppose this unfair levy.
We hope all members of the Legislative Council will take note of how this issue has brought so many different communities together with one voice and cast their vote accordingly.
As councils, we’re here to benefit our local communities - we’re not a revenue collection service for the Victorian Government.
Surf Coast Mayor Mike Bodsworth:
I hope you stand strong with us and our community.
Many primary producers are already under financial pressure at the moment due to the drought, and expecting them to bear an increased cost like this is really unfair.
Our community is against this levy, and there is broad agreement across councils that it should be scrapped.
By having councils collect the levy on its behalf, the state is protecting its own reputation at councils’ expense – because there’s no doubt this will widely be seen as an extra council fee.
Golden Plains Shire acting Mayor Helena Kirby:
We have had farmers meeting around the Shire, and this is impacting them badly.
It’s impacting families and children who might play sport; parents have to find the money from somewhere, and the children miss out.
Farmers put food on our tables, and we send food overseas.
We should be concerned about the risk of suicide, and we need to look after them.