Council
17 July, 2025
First responders face cuts, MP says
LOWAN MP Emma Kealy has hit out at the Victorian Government with claims there are impending cuts to the budget of Victorian emergency services despite the introduction of the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF).
Ms Kealy said Labor’s own budget papers showed significant funding reductions across key emergency agencies, including those the government used to justify introducing its ESVF which came into effect this month.
Parliament’s Public Accounts and Estimates Committee has raised concerns Labor could collectively cut funding for the Country Fire Authority (CFA), State Emergency Service (VICSES) and Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) by more than $165 million this financial year.
Ms Kealy said the shortfall, despite Victorians being hit with $725 million more per year under the new ESVF compared with the previous Fire Services Property Levy, proved the tax was never about improving emergency services.
“Labor misled Victorians when they said their great big new tax would mean more for our emergency services – the figures show this is simply not true,” she said.
“In Lowan alone this tax will rip an additional $30 million from people’s pockets, yet the hard-working emergency services who protect our communities will have less in their budgets.
“It doesn’t stack up and just proves that this unnecessary and unfair tax is nothing more than a callous cash-grab from a government with a massive budget black hole.
“Local people are sick to death of having their hard-earned funds taken away from them and being slugged with more taxes to pay for Labor’s financial incompetence.
“Labor has betrayed Victorians and consistently failed to manage money, and everyone – including the emergency services this new tax falsely claims to support – will pay the price.”
Ms Kealy said the Nationals and Liberals have committed to scrapping the tax if they win government in 2026 and returning to the previous fire services levy, which funds fire services transparently without punishing communities.
Western District Newspapers sought comment from Minister for Emergency Services Vicki Ward in response to questions, including if emergency services would face budget cuts – which a government spokesperson denied.
“We are making sure our emergency services have the sustainable funding and equipment they need to keep Victorians safe and to recover from bushfires, floods and storms,” a Victorian Government spokesperson said.
“There are no cuts to FRV, CFA or VICSES's budgets.
“Every single dollar raised by the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund goes back into our emergency services – as enshrined in legislation.
“Because our emergency services volunteers give our state so much, eligible CFA and VICSES volunteers and life members will be able to access a rebate, administered by the Department of Government Services.”
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