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Tim Bull pushes to scrap Labor's new $2.1B tax hitting households, farmers, and local councils hard

The Nationals are opposing Labor's $2.1 billion emergency services levy, warning it burdens households, farmers, and councils, with no guarantee funds will reach frontline emergency services.

By news@gippsland - 17th April 2025 - Back to News

Labor's latest new tax, the emergency services levy, is currently sitting between chambers in State Parliament with the Liberals and Nationals hoping to garner enough support to have it defeated on resumption.

Labor's $2.1 billion emergency services levy faces strong opposition, with Nationals pushing to defeat it in Parliament next sitting

Scrap the tax

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said the tax was also heavily opposed by both East Gippsland and Wellington Shire Councils as it will see an additional $2.1 billion ripped out of Victorians' pockets over the next three years, with councils forced to act as the state's tax collector via rate notices. "In an attempt to scuttle this next sitting week, we have launched the "Scrap The Tax" campaign, which notes:

• Farmers face a massive 189 percent rise in payments
• Household contributions almost doubled
• It creates an additional cost that will be passed on to renters
• Commercial rates will increase by 100 percent on average
• Industrial rates will soar by 64 percent

Mr Bull added, "Labor claims this is to fund services like the SES and Triple Zero, and while they're critically important services we support, they have always been funded out of consolidated revenue. This is just another grab to prop up the bottom line that will soon see us with a debt of $187 billion and interest repayments of $1 billion every six weeks."

"In addition to simply hitting us again financially with a new tax rather than continue to fund these important agencies out of general revenue, there are no guarantees the money will go to frontline services ahead of more backroom staff in the city," he said. Mr Bull urged all who wished to stop the implementation of this tax to visit Scrap the Tax page.

Pictures from Tim Bull MP Facebook page.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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• Latrobe City Council launches Action Plan to simplify fees, processes, and communications for easier local businesses to grow
  Latrobe City Council’s new Action Plan simplifies fees, processes, and communications, making it easier for local businesses to operate, improve coordination, and support small businesses while driving economic growth.
• Applications open for 2026 South Coast Community Leadership Program Supporting Local Skills Development until 13 February 2026
  Applications are open for the free 2026 South Coast Community Leadership Program, helping locals build skills, connect with peers, and positively impact Bass Coast and South Gippsland communities. Apply by February 13.