Latest news with #JenniferAnderson
The Age
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Rubbish city: These Melbourne suburbs are done with being dumping grounds
Driving along Melton's highways, rural roads and streets of new housing estates, it's impossible not to notice them: the piles of old mattresses, tyres and random household or construction waste strewn across the outer-western municipality. And the problem is costing the local council a mint. More than $3 million has been spent so far this financial year cleaning up more than 6000 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish – enough to fill about 200 large garbage trucks. The council has now spearheaded a push to call for state-led reform to crack down on a rising scourge of illegal dumping that disproportionately affects outer-metropolitan areas. At a Municipal Association of Victoria meeting, the state's 79 councils unanimously voted for a resolution put forward by Melton council urging the Victorian government to develop a prevention and education plan to combat illegal dumping. The motion, which was classified as a significant priority, also asks the government to divert money collected from the waste levy to help heavily impacted councils and increase resources for more enforcement by the Environment Protection Authority. Currently, policing is shared between councils and the environment authority. MAV president Jennifer Anderson said illegal dumping had become a major issue that required a uniform statewide approach. 'The fact that the resolution was passed unanimously highlights that the local government sector appreciates the impact this has on councils where it is taking place,' she said. Melton Mayor Steve Abboushi said local governments could not afford to keep working in silos – a lot of rubbish tossed in outer areas comes from outside these municipalities, with some cowboy operators choosing to dump illegally rather than pay tip fees.
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Premier Jacinta Allan's new tax riles regional Victorian councils
Victoria's 79 councils have banded together to formally oppose Premier Jacinta Allan's new emergency services tax. The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has pushed back against the controversial Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) in the face of ongoing protests. It has passed a number of resolutions designed to return the responsibility of collecting the levy to the state government. "Basically, we don't think it's a good idea at a local government level to be putting this tax burden on our ratepayers," MAV president Jennifer Anderson said. The resolutions called for adequate administrative funding for local governments to manage the cost of administering the levy; transferring levy collecting to the state, ensuring an equitable funding model; and ensuring equitable fund distribution. CFA members protest on the steps of the Victorian Parliament on Tuesday. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica ) Cr Anderson said councils did not have the resources to collect the levy or deal with those who refused to pay. "Given it has passed [in parliament], we really feel it should be something that the State Revenue Office should be dealing with, not local councils," Cr Anderson said. Cr Anderson said the amount of financial support given to local governments by the state government had declined in recent years, as evidenced in a recent parliamentary inquiry. "It's well and truly out there that over time some of the funding sources that were available to councils are either no longer available, or have reduced in time," Cr Anderson said. "Councils like to step in and provide services where there are gaps and there isn't a private provider, particularly in your smaller rural communities." CFA members came from across Victoria to join Tuesday's protest. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica ) Statewide issue Thousands of CFA volunteers and farmers gathered in Melbourne and across the state on Tuesday to protest the levy. Ben Blain spoke out against the levy. ( Supplied: Warrnambool City Council ) Warrnambool Mayor Ben Blain, who has been a CFA volunteer for nearly 20 years, told a rally in Warrnambool volunteers who took time away from their families, jobs, and businesses to protect the community should not be punished. "You're putting your life at risk to protect others in your community," he said. "Now they're trying to make you pay for the privilege to do it. "It's just wrong. It [the CFA] is something that should be cherished." Cr Blain said the levy would take close to $20 million out of the Moyne, Corangamite and Warrnambool local government areas. "We [councils] don't want to be the tax collectors for the state government," Cr Blain said. "When the vote went through on Thursday, 280 brigades went offline in protest — 50 of them were here in region 5. "I think that's sending a really clear message, we're not happy. "We want to see something that is fair and equitable because we're the country, we're the big part of Victoria … we're the heart and soul." Brad Battin says his party is committed to "scrapping the tax" if elected next year. ( ABC News: Joseph Dunstan ) On Tuesday the Victorian Opposition promised to scrap the ESVF if it won the next state election. "Under our plan, the Liberals and Nationals will repeal the ESVF and return to the simpler, fairer Fire Services Property Levy — a model that funds fire services transparently, without punishing homeowners, renters and farmers," Liberal leader Brad Battin said. Premier Jacinta Allan told the Victorian parliament the ESVF needed to be funded to provide adequate resourcing to emergency services. "You cannot ignore the fact that more and more is being asked of our emergency services, our state emergency services," she said. "You cannot commit to ripping away … hundreds of millions of dollars from our emergency services without finding it from somewhere else." Spring Street was swarming with CFA volunteers on Tuesday morning. ( ABC News. ) Protesters from across Victoria converge on Spring Street in Melbourne on Tuesday. (ABC News) CFA volunteers rally around the famous clocktower in Camperdown in south-west Victoria. ( Supplied: Chris Rodda ) CFA residents in Camperdown in south-west Victoria rally around the town's clock tower. (Supplied: Chris Rodda) About 50 protesters gathered outside the Morwell office of Labor MP Harriet Shing. About 50 protesters gather outside the Morwell office of Labor MP Harriet Shing. (ABC News: Rachael Lucas) Volunteers in Warrnambool rallied at the town's greyhound racing circuit. ( ABC News: Olivia Sanders ) In Warrnambool, volunteers rally at the town's greyhound racing circuit. (ABC News: Olivia Sanders) How it works The old tax, known as the Fire Services Levy, was used exclusively to fund the Country Fire Authority and Fire Services Victoria. The new, expanded tax will continue to fund the CFA and FRV, along with the State Emergency Service, Triple Zero Victoria and six other emergency-related government agencies. For farmers, the new tax will increase by 150 per cent to 71.8 cents for every $1,000 of property value, while for home owners it will double to 17. 3 cents. Rebates are available to all SES and CFA volunteers, but only on their principal place of residence. Alternatively, farmers who volunteer can access a rebate on their farm, but this is capped at $5 million, meaning a maximum rebate of $3,865. There is a drought rebate available for farmers in local government areas receiving drought support — these farmers will be taxed at the same rate as under the Fire Services Levy. The state government will raise $1.6 billion from the ESVF next financial year, up $600 million on the previous year. It has budgeted $26 million for rebates in 2025–26.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Three arrested in Lathrop home burglary
( — Three people were arrested after burglarizing a home and stealing new appliances over the weekend, according to the Lathrop Police Department. Video Above: Property Crime Statistics Police said that several brand-new appliances were stolen from a home that was under construction. Officers were able to find and arrest the suspects with the help of surveillance footage and social media. During a search of the suspect's home, officers recovered the stolen property and an illegally possessed handgun. Three minors arrested on weapon, auto theft charges Police arrested 39-year-old Jeffery Howard, 45-year-old Jennifer Anderson and 19-year-old Andrew Anderson. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Herald Sun
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Herald Sun
Melbourne traffic chaos, West Gate freeway delays due to protest
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News. Traffic chaos is unfolding in Melbourne CBD, with major delays being reported on city arterials like the West Gate freeway. Dozens of fire trucks were spotted heading into town, believed to be arriving for a protest at 11:30am at parliament against the Allan Government's new emergency services fund. Farmers are descending on Spring St to protest and will be joined by the powerful United Firefighters Union. The action aims to bring to together fireys, farmers and local council members who are all opposed to the new levy which will see an extra $2bn taken from land holders if it replaces the current Fire Services Levy. The Victorian Farmers Federation have previously rallied against the levy saying it would hit regional property owners hard with some reporting cost increases of 400 per cent. They are not in attendance but individual farmers will join the protest lines. Councils, which collect the Fire Services Levy for the state government through rate notices have also spoken out against the tax warning the new levy will be 'more complicated' to administer and backlash from local residents will be 'massive'. Municipal Association of Victoria President Jennifer Anderson is on record stating that councils across the state had indicated they were 'not able to reliably implement these proposed changes'. Volunteer firefighters and farmers yesterday were preparing to descend on Spring Street in a bid to extinguish the 'unjust' new emergency services tax, while presenting the Allan government with a mock-up bill of more than $1m for the catastrophic Grampians blaze. Some volunteers are refusing to attend call-outs and have threatened to quit altogether over the new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund after it was revealed farmers – many of whom are CFA volunteers themselves – could be hardest hit. In the lead-up to the return of parliament next week, senior volunteer firefighters have sent out a call to action, encouraging fuming farmers and firefighters to join a demonstration at Spring Street on Friday morning. UFU Secretary Peter Marshall said today's rally, which would be attended by scores of farmers, council advocates and firefighters, had been organised to draw attention to the to the fact that the levy also changed the funding arrangements for FRV. 'Under these changes, the levy will be doubled, but the legally binding funding standards for fire protection will be abolished,' he said. 'What exactly will Victorians be paying for? Without mandatory, enforceable standards, firefighters can't guarantee they'll be able to safely respond to the emergencies where they are including local councils and farmers are also speaking out in opposition to this blatant cash grab and we welcome their solidarity.' The protest comes ahead of parliament resuming next week. The Herald Sun understands the controversial levy may be put back to a vote in next week despite it being broadly opposed. In April, the Allan government was forced to temporarily shelve the legislation to make way for the new tax after it could not garner enough support from the crossbench in the upper house. If the bill is not voted on next week it leaves the government with the prospect that Treasurer Jaclyn Symes faces a massive black hole in her first budget, which will be handed down on May 20. Sources said the four upper house Greens MPs — who the government often looks to for support to pass legislation — had been asked by their federal counterparts to not support the Bill while the campaign was on. Given the federal party has been decimated it is currently not clear if the Victorian Greens will support the controversial legislation. More to come....
