Gippsland › Latest news › Melina Bath MP

Liberals and Nationals to scrap Labor's emergency services tax, vow to support for regional communities

The Liberals and Nationals pledge to scrap Labor's Emergency Services Tax, restoring fairness for farmers, families, and regional communities, and reinstating the original fire services property levy.

By news@gippsland - 29th May 2025 - Back to News

The Liberals and Nationals will scrap Labor's Emergency Services tax in government. Ms Bath told state parliament tax that the unjustifiable tax will rip $3 billion over four years from Victorian families, farmers, and small businesses under the guise of supporting emergency services.

Labor's $616 million tax targets farmers, raises food prices, burdens families, and misleads about funding frontline emergency volunteers

Farmers hit hardest

Labor's new tax has doubled, even tripled charges for property owners across the state, with primary producers hit hardest - facing rate hikes of up to 150 percent. Ms Bath said under Labor's changes, all Victorian property owners will pay more but it is a misconception that the money collected will go to frontline services. "The extra revenue will not increase support for emergency service volunteers - it goes towards funding agencies that used to be funded through existing taxes," she said.

Ms Bath said Labor's 60th new or increased tax would hurt every Victorian ratepayer. "But it is our farmers, many of whom are also CFA volunteers, SES members, and first responders, who will be punished most by a 150 percent increase."

"To hit regional communities while they are already battling drought and cost-of-living pressures is unconscionable. Labor's claims farmers who are emergency services volunteers are exempt is misleading - the devil is in the detail, exemptions are only applied to a farmers' primary place of residence, not the entire property," she added.

Fairer emergency funding

Under a Liberals and Nationals government, tax will be scrapped, and the Fire Services Property Levy will be restored. "Reinstating the Fire Services Property Levy will reverse the major rate increases our regional communities are facing and ensure the funds raised are going directly to our volunteer brigades."

"Funding for the SES and core government services should be delivered transparently through the state budget - not buried in household rates. I want to thank the incredible emergency services volunteers and farmers who rallied twice on the steps of Parliament and locally, to voice their discontent and stand up for their community," concluded Ms Bath.

Pictures from Melina Bath MP Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com