REGIONAL Victorians are set to pay the price of the government's financial mismanagement, with a massive Fire Service Levy increase revealed in the State Budget.
The Fire Services Levy, paid by all Victorian landowners, has been hiked significantly in the 2024-25 State Budget.
This will increase the fire tax paid by Victorians by around $186 million in the next year.
In neighbouring electorate, Nationals member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland spoke for rural communities saying the taxes were a disaster for regional Victorians and the CFA.
“Despite this tax increase, our CFA brigades are unlikely to see much benefit,” Ms Cleeland said.
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“Much like last year, the vast majority of funds raised through the fire services levy fails to reach our dedicated volunteer firefighters.
“Instead, we are seeing regional residents and farm owners saddled with significantly higher fees, fees that are set to be at least an extra thousand dollars on top of existing farm bills, all just to cover the demands of city-based brigades.
“It has been reported that much of this levy increase will be going towards the United Firefighters Union, and not our dedicated volunteer firefighters who put their lives at risk to protect their own communities.
“While the UFU rejects pay rises and calls for health insurance and transport coverage – our brigades simply want vehicles, appliances, and facilities that are fit for purpose.”
Despite this tax increase, the state government has decided to delay 83 per cent of existing CFA capital projects by one year.
The CFA is also still waiting on the delivery of 28 of the 48 critical new Heavy Tankers that were originally promised by the Labor government way back in 2021, with only 15 currently in active service.
“The 48 new heavy tankers promised by Labor are now over two years late with no sign of an actual delivery date,” Ms Cleeland said.
“This leaves our CFA volunteers with older, less safe, and less effective vehicles.
“The government’s lack of support for the CFA is a death by a thousand cuts to our selfless volunteer firefighters, and it fails those who risk their lives to protect our regional communities.”
