Published on 16 May 2025
The Victorian Government changes to the Fire Services Levy that Council collects for the government as part of its rates notice, will result in many property owners facing a significant increase on their next rates bill.
The new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund which will come into effect on 1 July will expand the existing Fire Services Property Levy to include funding for emergency services and other state government agencies. Ratepayers, particularly farmers, will pay substantially more than they have in previous years.
“This change will impact rural communities far more than urban ratepayers, which is incredibly unfair and cruel to farmers in particular, who are already facing many hardships,” Mayor Cr Paul Tatchell said.
“There are fairer ways to do this and it’s a shame the Victorian Government is using our rural property owners to claw back some of their huge debt.
“Councils are forced to add this onto every rates notice we send out, we are a collection agency for the Victorian Government, but when ratepayers see this massive increase, some will understandably think Council has imposed this extra cost.
“The new system has been slammed by emergency services organisations, Councils, and farming and rural bodies – it needs to be urgently reconsidered or the consequences could be severe for our primary producers, which in turn means severe for all Victorians who rely on food production.”