Thursday, 20 February 2025
Constituency questions
Western Victoria Region
Please do not quote
Proof only
Western Victoria Region
Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (12:44): (1404) My constituency question is to the Treasurer. Last week the City of Ballarat raised significant concerns about the new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund, which replaces the fire services levy. Cr Tracey Hargreaves, the mayor of Ballarat, said:
… the … fund is more than just a name change, and I, along with my fellow councillors, were extremely troubled to learn the new fund will cost ratepayers significantly more at a time when people can least afford it.
…
• Farmers will be slugged with a 122% increase …
• Commercial ratepayers will be hit with a 75% increase
…
• Homeowners will see the … charge increase by 29%
Cr Hargreaves said:
It is … difficult to understand how the state government can cap council rates yet indiscriminately increase the ESVF levy.
She also called for full transparency and said that the state government has not indicated how the collected revenue will be distributed. So my question is: will the Treasurer provide any relevant modelling of the ESVF’s distribution to Ballarat City Council?