Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) Levy
Council is very disappointed that legislation for the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) Levy has passed through the Victorian Parliament in a rushed way, and without a full assessment being undertaken of its impacts on rural and regional communities and local government areas.
Council acknowledges the capping of the ESVF Levy at the 2024-25 rate for all primary producers for the coming financial year. However, it does just pause the pain for a year, and this will have to be confronted, on the back of a drought affected season for the sector.
In addition to the significant increases that most sectors of our community will experience from the introduction of the new ESVF Levy, we expect there will be a substantial additional burden on Council administration in managing – and enforcing – this new process.
Many of these changes will lead to additional costs being incurred by Council, with the impact further borne by ratepayers in the form of reduced available funds to do Council’s own work. It must be noted that Council’s finances and program delivery will be significantly affected if residents choose to pay the Council rates portion only and exclude the ESVF Levy (as many have indicated to us) because Council still needs to submit the proportional funds through to the State.
May/June 2025 update
As endorsed at the May 2025 Council Meeting and following a statement earlier that month, Council has written to the Victorian Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Emergency Services, Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Treasurer, and the Local Member for Macedon in our objection to the levy. We have also written to all Victorian Councils, Rural Councils Victoria and the Municipal Association of Victoria seeking them to unite, and as a collective, oppose the collection of the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund Levy.
Council also staged a listening post at Newham in June where the ESVF Levy was a key item for discussion and residents, farmers and business owners openly discussed the strain the levy will have on their circumstances.
August 2025 update
Subsequently after being endorsed at the August 2025 Council Meeting, Council has again written to the Victorian Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Emergency Services, Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Treasurer, the Local Member for Macedon, and the Minister for Local Government to strongly reaffirm its opposition to Local Government being used as a collection agent for the ESVF and maintains the ESVF Levy will have a significant negative financial impact on the Macedon Ranges community. Now, with rates notices hitting letter boxes across the shire the gravity of this unfair levy is amplified.
Council also resolved to submit a motion to the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) 10 October 2025 State Council.
The motion implores the MAV to also reaffirm its opposition to Local Government being used as a collection agency for the ESVF Levy and demand that the Victorian Government immediately transfer full responsibility for levy administration to the State Revenue Office, with no role for local government.
It also calls for an urgent review of the levy model to address the disproportionate and inequitable burden placed on rural communities, farmers and small businesses. We know first hand the impact it is having on these communities and sectors, having met with them directly and from being in constant dialogue with them.
The motion insists that any levy imposed by the State must be accompanied by transparent impact assessments, full State-funded administration support, and direct State-led community engagement and calls for a formal review of the levy’s impacts within 24 months of implementation, with findings to be made public.