Tuesday, 4 March 2025

Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund

Richard RIORDAN (Polwarth) (19:19): (1039) My adjournment this evening is to the Treasurer, and the action I seek is for the Treasurer to immediately remove the new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund from local council collections, take responsibility for the collection of the fund by the State Revenue Office, as they do with land tax and other state charges, be responsible for it and stop putting the blame on local councils. I speak with great concern about the Corangamite, Surf Coast and Colac Otway shires, who will see their rural and farming ratepayers pay up to a 300 per cent increase this year alone, with more increases set to come in this levy. This levy being collected by the state through this tax that is being levied through local government will prevent local municipalities managing their rate base in a fair and equitable way into the future. The tax cut from local communities is going from some $700 million to nearly $1.8 billion over a three-year period. It is just a bit over a $1 billion increase out of mainly rural and regional areas in the collection of this tax.

This tax is completely unfair, with only 9 per cent of the additional revenue – so 9 per cent of the $1 billion – going back to volunteer services such as the CFA and such as the SES. It does not include any extra funds for other regional volunteer emergency services such as the surf lifesaving clubs, ocean and marine rescue groups and other like community volunteer organisations that work diligently to help support local communities. This volunteer fire service fund is nothing more than a massive tax grab that is being forced on local councils to collect. Local councils are then having to add it to their rates and take the heat for this government on this massive tax increase. It is very unfair. It is putting undue stress particularly in south-west Victoria at the moment, which is enduring one of its hardest and harshest droughts for a very long time. This is a massive hit to the cost of living on farms. It is a massive hit to the cost of living for those renting homes in regional and rural Victoria, who are now paying much, much more in rent because of this increased tax. Treasurer, I look forward to you taking this action, removing this tax from local council rates and taking responsibility for it so that the people in Polwarth do not have to pay it.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will just refer your question, member for Polwarth, to the Speaker in regard to anticipating debate. There is a fund there, but I am just going to refer that to the Speaker.

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Well, then it will be fine, if that is the case.