More than 30 mayors and councillors from 22 Victorian municipalities will gather today at Moonee Valley Racecourse in an urgent attempt to derail what they describe as a “tax grab” by the Allan government—an increase to the Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund (ESVF) set to raise $3 billion in additional taxes over three years.
Under the plan, landlords, holiday home owners, and farmers with a second property will face steep increases in fixed charges, with total revenue expected to jump from $1.623 billion annually to $1.8 billion by 2027.
The backlash comes as local councils are inundated with community complaints, having been tasked with collecting the controversial levy. Many fear the measure will cripple the rental market and strain regional economies.
United Firefighters Union Secretary Peter Marshall, who earlier this year led fiery protests against the tax, said Saturday’s forum would send a clear message to the state government.
“Local councillors know the residents and businesses in their areas can’t afford this obscene tax grab,” Marshall said. “They depend on emergency services, and now those services are being used as a budget cover-up.”
Joining Marshall at the forum are Professor Bill Mitchell of the University of Newcastle and farming advocate Andrew Weidemann AO, both set to speak against the levy’s financial and social consequences.
Opposition emergency services spokesperson Danny O’Brien labeled the tax a “budget black hole filler” during a cost-of-living crisis, arguing it would push rents even higher and force some landlords to sell.
Jacob Caine, President of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria, echoed that concern, warning that additional taxes could worsen housing affordability.
“Unfortunately, for many rental providers, this means selling their property or hiking rents,” he said.
In response to the mounting criticism, Premier Jacinta Allan recently announced a one-year reprieve for farmers. However, the full hike is expected to come into effect in the 2026–27 financial year.
Stephen Jolly, Mayor of Yarra, said local business owners already struggling with doubling rates were being “squeezed at the worst time.”
Geelong councillor Trent Sullivan added that councils had been “forcibly deputised as collectors of an unfair tax that masks funding cuts.”
The Victorian government has denied any reduction in budgets for Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), the Country Fire Authority (CFA), or Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES). A government spokesperson emphasized:
“We are ensuring emergency services have the resources to respond to fires, floods, and storms and to protect Victorian lives.”
The political standoff is intensifying as regional councils threaten further action. With community anger rising, today’s meeting could mark the start of a coordinated campaign to overturn the levy entirely.