Councils united against unfair emergency services tax
Published on 10 October 2025
The Rural City of Wangaratta is part of an unprecedented alliance of protest against the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund (ESVF).
As a member council of Regional Cities Victoria, the Rural City of Wangaratta has joined forces with Rural Councils Victoria and the Municipal Association of Victoria to lead one of the most powerful demonstrations of local government unity in recent years — with all 79 Victorian councils standing together against the ESVF.
This unprecedented joint protest brings a clear and united message to the Victorian Government: regional and rural ratepayers cannot afford another state-imposed tax.
This levy hits hardest where it hurts most — drought-stricken farmers, families already stretched by rising costs, and the local economies that help regional Victoria and the entire state to prosper.
The collective of councils has formally written to Premier Jacinta Allan and Treasurer Jaclyn Symes, calling for the ESVF to be withdrawn and redesigned to ensure equity, transparency, and proper consultation with local government.
While every local government strongly supports the state’s emergency services volunteers, the ESVF:
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shifts state costs to councils and ratepayers, undermining local budgets;
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disproportionately impacts rural and regional communities;
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adds further pressure to families and businesses already managing drought, water insecurity, and rising living costs.
Acting Mayor, Havery Benton said, “This levy is a direct hit to our farmers and families who are already doing it tough. We support our emergency services volunteers, but the ESVF is unfair and was imposed without genuine consultation. Local government should be a partner, not an afterthought, when it comes to major financial decisions affecting our communities.”
It’s been two years since the Victorian Government scrapped the Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund, which provided up to $125m annually to underwrite projects that accommodate growth and create jobs in regional and rural Victoria. The State’s estimated to strip up to $60 million more from our communities a year through the ESVF.
Acting Mayor, Havery Benton went on to say, “All 79 Councils are standing together to send a clear message: regional and rural Victoria cannot afford another state-imposed tax. We urge the State Government to withdraw the ESVF and work with us to design a fairer, more transparent approach.”