West Wimmera Shire Council slams new rural levy

Published on 23 May 2025

West Wimmera Shire Council has voted unanimously to oppose the State Government’s Emergency Service Volunteers Fund, branding it an unfair tax on rural communities.

At a meeting on Wednesday, Council agreed to lobby state and federal politicians and political parties to rescind the egregious tax, which councillors believe is particularly targeted toward rural communities.

Council also agreed to actively support local, regional, and state emergency services in their ongoing campaign against the imposition of the tax, and convey to State Parliament Council’s objections to being forced to collect the tax on behalf of the State Government.

The ESVF will replace the existing Fire Services Property Levy from 1 July 2025.

Council believes it places an unfair burden on rural communities and councils and will slug rural ratepayers with steep increases of more than 100 per cent on their rates.

Mayor Tim Meyer said the tax was an unjustified cash grab by the Labor government.

“This is nothing more than a rural tax,” he said.

“The Emergency Service Volunteers Fund punishes the very communities that rely most heavily on volunteer emergency services – people who already give their time, energy and resources freely to protect lives and property.

“To ask local councils to collect this levy is offensive.

“We are not state revenue collectors, and we won’t stand by while our residents are hit with rate hikes of more than 100%.

“We are calling on Premier Jacinta Allan to listen to rural Victoria.

“This tax is not welcome here. It’s time to rescind it and stop taking rural communities for granted.”

Council will write to the state government to formally express its opposition to the ESVF and demand the legislation be repealed.

Cr Meyer said the ESVF unfairly targeted rural communities, particularly farmers, and placed additional financial and administrative pressure on residents and local governments.

“Our emergency service volunteers are the backbone of community safety, particularly in rural areas like West Wimmera,” he said.

“We support our volunteers wholeheartedly, but this tax does not.”

Cr Meyer and Cr Tom Houlihan attended a rally in Melbourne this week, protesting the ESVF.