Outside our Council Headquarters in Morwell last week, we witnessed first-hand the deep concern within our community regarding the Victorian State Government’s Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund.

The recent announcement by the Victorian State Government to implement changes to replace the Fire Services Property Levy with the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund, has sparked significant unrest across regional and rural areas including here in Latrobe City.

In a powerful display of unity, community members led a convoy of CFA tankers, fire service vehicles and a tractor, and marched on foot down Commercial Road in protest highlighting just how strongly people feel about the impacts of this decision. The message from our community is clear: this tax is unsustainable and unfairly targets those living and working in regional Victoria.

This levy hike is not just a line item on a bill - it represents a real financial burden on those who already give so much to protect and serve their communities. The voices raised this week reflect a genuine fear that our vital volunteers and local country fire authority services, many members who are local farmers, will be unfairly impacted, and that the cost will fall on everyday Victorians.

Councillors’ advocacy against the proposed changes to the Fire Services Property Levy followed the passing of a Notice of Motion at the February 2025 Council Meeting.

 We stand united with other regional and rural councils across Victoria and support the advocacy efforts led by key peak bodies, including One Gippsland, the regional advocacy body representing our area, Regional Cities Victoria, of which we are a member, and the Municipal Association of Victoria. Together, we are calling for the withdrawal of what is widely regarded as an unsustainable tax that unfairly targets regional and rural communities.

Under the proposed changes, Latrobe City Council will be required to collect 50 percent more through the levy - an increase that places an unreasonable burden on everyone in our community, households, local businesses, and our farming community.

We understand that, with many households already feeling the pinch due to rising costs of living, any further increase in charges is especially challenging. The Fire Services Property Levy, and recent increase, is determined and set by the State Government. Council has no control over the amount and is simply required by law to collect the levy on the State’s behalf.

While we support the need for strong, well-resourced emergency services, the approach to funding must be equitable and transparent. We strongly believe it is not the role of local councils to act as tax collectors for state-imposed levies, particularly when the burden falls disproportionately on our community.

The State Revenue Office - an agency specifically established to collect state taxes and manage state funding - should be responsible for administering this levy at the State’s expense. Shifting this responsibility to councils not only distances the State Government from financial accountability for its own policies but also leads many residents to mistakenly believe that the levy is set or imposed by Council.

We remain committed to raising our voice in support of both our community and the emergency services that protect it, ensuring these concerns are heard by the State Government. We will continue to strongly advocate alongside our community, fellow Gippsland Councils, and other key voices against this unfair burden placed on regional and rural Victorians. This tax must be removed to safeguard the long-term viability and resilience of our regional and rural communities.

Councillor Dale Harriman
Mayor, Latrobe City Council

Council is here to help.
We understand the pressures being experienced by many in our community with the rising cost of living and ongoing drought conditions, marked by significantly low rainfall, the strain is increasingly visible, both financially and mentally. 

These pressures are being felt deeply across households, businesses and our farming community.

Should anyone be experiencing difficulty paying their rates we are here to support residents. To discuss flexible payment arrangements, please reach out to our Customer Focus Team on 1300 367 700 to discuss.