Opposition to levy takes the next step

Published on 29 May 2025

Loddon Shire Council has been at the forefront of opposition to the Victorian Government’s Emergency Services Volunteer Fund Levy and that opposition took the next step this week.

Councillors at the May monthly meeting on Tuesday, 27 May, moved a four part motion as follows:

That Council

1. Reiterates our objections from the 25th of March to the proposed introduction of the abhorrent Emergency Services Volunteer Fund Levy in its current form, due to the significant, unfair and inequitable impacts it will have on the Shire’s farming, commercial and industrial sectors.

2. Call on the State Government to listen to our community and immediately repeal the implementation of the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund Levy (Bill).

3. As the Bill is awaiting Royal Assent, we call on Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC Governor of Victoria to exercise her reserve powers and not sign this bill (ESVFL) into Law.

4. Authorise the Mayor to write to all Victorian Councils, Rural Councils Victoria and the Municipal Association of Victoria seeking them to unite and as a collective oppose the collection of the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund Levy.

Loddon Shire Mayor Dan Straub said the motion was the obvious next step after Councillors attended a rally against the levy in Melbourne last week.

“That rally was attended by 10,000 people including many residents from Loddon Shire,” Cr Straub said.

“Those residents are not only landowners who will have to pay this unjust and unfair levy but also emergency services volunteers themselves.

“For them to leave their farms at this busy time of year at short notice to make their voices heard shows the level of concern in our communities, and that level is unprecedented.

“Council has actively been lobbying against this levy since we were made aware of it, and we will continue to do so.”