Fight against tax to go to State Council

Published on 28 July 2025

Loddon Shire Council will step up its battle at the major Victorian local government forum to get the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund (ESVF) levy overturned.

Council at its July meeting resolved to submit a motion to the Municipal Association of Victoria’s (MAV) State Council in October opposing the ESVF.

It follows similar resolutions at the May and June Council meetings where Council called on the Victorian Government and the Governor of Victoria Margaret Gardner to overturn the tax.

Council at the July meeting also called on MAV to continue uniting Councils in opposition to the ESVF.

Loddon Shire Mayor Dan Straub said the State Council was the right forum to keep pushing for the levy to be repealed.

“MAV has done a lot of work in relation to what Loddon Shire and other municipalities have been pushing for,” he said.

“We need to keep the pressure on and our peak body is the best way to do this.”

The ESVF has continued to be the hot topic of regional local government forums attended by Loddon Shire.

Cr Straub said he was also heartened by speaking to the Governor’s office recently about the ESVF.

“We issued an open invitation for the Governor to visit Loddon Shire on her next regional tour, which her office was keen on,” Cr Straub said.