Allan government hits pause on controversy Emergency Services Levy one week after mass protest by farmers, CFA volunteers
The Victorian government hit pause on the rollout of the controversial emergency services levy, just two weeks after the legislation passed parliament.
Thousands of farmers, CFA volunteers and career firefighters massed on the steps of state parliament last week in protest of the new levy, which critics claim will cause significant hardship for regional communities.
The new tax is set to take effect from July 1, with different rates applying to various categories of property and primary production land.
However Jacinta Allan announced on Friday that Labor would freeze the rollout for Victorian farmers as part of a broader package of drought relief.
'As part of this immediate drought package and program of support, we're announcing that… the Emergency Services Levy rate for all farmers statewide will be held at the 2024-25 rates,' Ms Allan said.
'So this means that the rate that farmers are paying now will be the rate that they will pay into the next financial year as well.'
Premier Allan said the decision, which follows a previous freeze for drought-affected local government areas, was made because of the 'dramatically worsened conditions and those real pressures that farmers are facing right now.'
Farmers had been facing a 150 per cent increase on the previous levy, with a farmer named Ross telling Sky News Australia last week that while he didn't have an exact calculation, he expected the tax would cost him in the vicinity of $50,000.
While the freeze will provide relief for farmers, the exemption is only expected to be temporary, with Victorian Treasurer Jaclyn Symes explaining that she was simply setting the rate for next year's levy at the same rate as the previous year.
'I'll be gazetting that rate at the same rate as last year, so that, to make it clear, there'll be no increase for any farmer, anyone who has primary production land in the state of Victoria,' she said.
Ms Symes also pointed out there was an exemption for CFA and SES volunteers, meaning many farmers wouldn't have to pay the new rate at all.
However the Victorian Opposition has called on the government to go further and scrap the levy entirely.
'What will it take for Jacinta Allan to realise that this unfair tax on all Victorians needs to be scrapped?" Opposition Leader Brad Battin asked.
'The Victorian Liberals and Nationals have already stated we will scrap this tax. It is time that the Allan Labor government do the same.'
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