Statement from the Mayor - Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund

Published on 28 May 2025

The City of Whittlesea remains deeply concerned and firmly opposed to the introduction of the Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund (ESVF); due to the significant and widespread financial impact it will have on our entire municipality. This state-imposed levy will be felt across all sectors of our community, from farming families and small business operators to everyday residents already grappling with rising costs and economic uncertainty.

Our residents have raised serious concerns regarding the ESVF, which Council shares and strongly supports, including:

1. A substantial financial burden, this levy will substantially increase costs for households, primary producers, and small businesses alike, with some property owners facing levy hikes of up to a possible 189%.
2. Escalating cost of living pressures, this new charge comes at a time of widespread affordability challenges, compounding financial stress on farmers, families, pensioners, and low-income earners across our city.
3. An unfair impact on volunteers, CFA and SES volunteers many of whom reside in our municipality feel penalised by a levy that may charge them for services they generously deliver for free.
4. Lack of transparency, there is insufficient detail about how these funds will be allocated, and whether they will directly enhance frontline emergency service delivery in our local areas.
5. An unreasonable burden on councils, who have been tasked with collecting this state-imposed levy with some financial support for administration; however, it remains unclear whether this support will fully cover the administrative costs incurred by councils in managing this levy collection.
6. Potential loss of council generated revenue due to residents refusing or withholding payment of the ESVF levy, which is calculated using an apportionment model.
7. Inadequate consultation with communities, the rollout of the ESVF lacked meaningful engagement with local councils and residents. Many communities were blindsided by its introduction and implementation via council rates notices; and
8. A risk to volunteer morale and retention, this proposed ESVF policy threatens to undermine the commitment of our valued emergency service volunteers, jeopardising future recruitment and long-term service sustainability.

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. 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.

Whittlesea City Council stands fully behind the need for well-resourced emergency services, and we continue to honour the extraordinary commitment of our CFA and SES volunteers. However, the sustainability of these vital services must not come at the expense of the financial viability of our residents, businesses, and primary producers.

This is not just a rural issue. Every ratepayer across the City of Whittlesea will be affected. 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. In particular, we urge the removal of the requirement for local councils to collect the ESVF. The State must take full ownership of its policy, and the systems needed to administer it, this responsibility should not fall to local government.

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.

We will continue to stand with our farming families, our volunteers, our businesses, and our residents. Their voices must be heard, and we will not stop advocating on their behalf.

Cr Martin Taylor
Mayor
City of Whittlesea