The City of Whittlesea called on the State Government to “immediately reconsider” the implementation of the Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund (ESVF), which later proved to be successful for farmers who received a 12-month reprieve on Friday.
In a statement, Mayor Councillor Martin Taylor said the levy would have significant financial implications across the entire municipality and be felt from farming families and small business operators to everyday residents already grappling with rising costs and economic uncertainty.
“While we acknowledge and welcome recent amendments to the levy, such as reductions for Primary Production Land and the introduction of rebates for eligible CFA and SES volunteers, these changes fall far short of what is needed,” Cr Taylor said.
“They are a direct result of strong advocacy from councils such as Whittlesea City Council across the state, but they still do not provide sufficient relief for many of our community members.”
In his statement on May 28, Cr Taylor said City of Whittlesea residents had raised several concerns about the ESVF which Council shared and strongly supported.
Some of those concerns included the ESVF being a substantial financial burden, the escalation of cost-of-living pressures, an unfair impact on volunteers and risks to morale and retention, lack of transparency and consultation with communities and an unreasonable burden on councils with potential loss of council-generated revenue due to residents refusing or withholding levy payments.
Cr Taylor said Council fully stood behind the need for well-resourced emergency services, however, the sustainability of vital services shouldn’t come at the expense of the financial viability of residents, businesses and primary producers.
“This is not just a rural issue. Every ratepayer across the City of Whittlesea will be affected,” he said.
“Many will face cost increases that are simply unaffordable. It is fundamentally unjust to expect local councils and communities to administer and bear the brunt of a tax that should rightly be managed by the State Government.
“The City of Whittlesea strongly calls upon the State Government to immediately reconsider the implementation of this levy.”
The statement made particular note that requirements for local councils to collect the ESVF should be removed.
“The State Government must take full ownership of its policy, and the systems needed to administer it, this responsibility should not fall to local government,” Cr Taylor said.
“As Mayor, alongside my fellow Councillors, I reaffirm our unwavering commitment to advocating for a fairer and more equitable model one that secures sustainable emergency services funding while protecting the financial wellbeing of all residents across our municipality.”