Horsham Rural City Council welcomes the Victorian Government's decision to freeze the Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund (ESVF) rate for farmers for two years.
The decision, announced as part of the Government's Budget update, follows extensive lobbying by Council's across the state, including Horsham Rural City Council. Campaigns by the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), Rural Councils Victoria and Regional Cities Victoria against the imposition of a primary producers' levy sent a strong message to state government.
The ESVF was introduced by the Government in May 2025 to fund emergency services across Victoria, including CFA, Fire Rescue Victoria, SES, Triple Zero Victoria and Emergency Recovery Victoria.
It is not a Council charge. However, councils are required by law to collect it on behalf of the State Government as part of their annual rates notices.
The MAV, the peak body for Victoria's local councils, had called for a review of the ESVF fixed charge calculation for property classifications - specifically for commercial and primary production properties - to ease the cost burden on rural and regional businesses and primary producers.
The ESVF variable rate for primary production properties will remain at 28.7 cents per $1000 of Capital Improved Value (CIV), for at least the next two financial years.
Additionally, eligible CFA and SES volunteers may access a rebate for their primary place of residence or primary production land, with the rebate cap lifted from $5 million to $10 million of CIV.
The fixed rate for non-primary place of residence properties will also remain at the current rate, until July 2027.
"This is much needed relief for our primary producers," said Mayor Cr Brian Klowss.
"Our farmers and growers have had to deal with drought conditions and increasing cost pressures in a tough economic climate, and the ESVF places unfair hardship on regional communities like ours.
"While we strongly support the vital role of emergency services volunteers, the ESVF is a tax to fund services that should be supported from consolidated revenue, and its collection belongs with the State Revenue Office, not local councils."
The ESVF replaced the former Fire Services Property Levy (FSL), an annual charge on property owners to fund fire and emergency services.
"It's also important that we continue the pressure on the state government, while the two-year freeze is a positive sign, we don't just want this matter kicked down the road to after the election. We need a new model to how emergency services volunteers are funded," explained Mayor Klowss.
MAV President Cr Jennifer Anderson said the MAV will continue to work with Government to advocate for an updated funding model to reflect the true ongoing ESVF administrative costs for each council.
For current rates, concessions and rebates, refer to the State Revenue Office website: https://www.sro.vic.gov.au/about-us/rates-and-statistics/current-rates/emergency-services-and-volunteers-fund-current-rates
