Community
23 May, 2025
The battle has just begun
OVER the past week communities have rallied in opposition to the state government’s new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF).
This fund, or ‘levy’ as its been more widely termed, has come under fire by thousands across the western district.
Our already suffering farmers, many of which are long-standing and active Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteers, are doing it tough. Real tough.
This drought is the worst some have seen in many decades.
Feed for stock is getting scarce and expensive.
Farmers are paying tens of thousands of dollars just to keep their stock – and their livelihood – alive.
And with no rain on the immediate horizon, many are also regularly buying truck loads of water.
Others are euthanising stock in the paddock.
They are resilient but they are being worn down.
For some, they are at breaking point.
These farmers are the heart and soul of many communities across the western district.
They not only work the land, but they contribute endless volunteer hours not just to the CFA but to various other community groups, clubs and sporting organisations.
They dig deep even when their pockets are shallow.
They would give their last dollar to help a mate in need – and they’d do it with a smile.
Sadly, I fear this ESVF could very well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
The state of farming in our district has never before looked so grim.
In many cases, it’s anticipated that our CFA volunteers/farmers will be forced to pay thousands of dollars towards a service that they provide free of charge and have done so for many years.
But our CFA volunteers, who have become the leaders in this campaign against the levy, are not the only ones who will be affected by this statewide cash grab.
It will affect each and every one of us – some more than others.
It will hit every home owner, every renter, every rural landholder across the state. And for many it will hit hard.
Household budgets are already stretched; this will see the thin line only get thinner.
Landlords will pass the cost onto tenants to recover the hundreds, or even thousands, they will be charged.
Rents will rise.
Some properties will even be pulled from the rental market entirely and, as a result, the already-difficult search for rental properties will get even harder.
The previous fire services property levy, which was included in council rates for homeowners and businesses, was capped.
It was predictable. It was based on basic property classifications.
This new levy will be based on your property’s CIV (capital improvement value). That takes in your house, your land and every structure on it.
In simple terms, the more your property is worth the more you will pay.
Be warned. Talk is, this could result in anywhere up to a 400 per cent increase in your emergency services charge.
This could amount to thousands of dollars many people aren’t prepared for. Nor can they afford.
The timing of this could not have been worse for our district in particular.
Families are struggling with day to day living expenses and farmers are battling drought conditions.
And the added irony of all this?
This week is National Volunteers Week.
We should be giving thanks to our volunteers, not slugging them with another levy.
We all pay our taxes. We all work hard. We all deserve to be treated in a fair and equitable manner.
I believe the fight has only just begun.
Jodie Welsh
