• Homeowner rates will rise from $191 to $254 per year
• Commercial rates will rise from $749 to $1240
The United Firefighters Union has branded the Allan Government’s reforms to the Fire Services Levy a cynical cash grab to pad the budget bottom line at the expense of household budgets and public safety.
Analysis of government finances by University of Newcastle Professor Bill Mitchell shows that rates for the median homeowner will rise from $191 to $254 per year. Commercial and industrial property owners and farmers will see median levy rates rise from as little as $621 a year to more than $1200 per year.
The Allan Government will change the law to remove minimum funding for fire services out of the levy. They are currently required to fund fixed proportions of the FRV and CFA budget from the levy, introduced as a recommendation of the Black Saturday Royal Commission. This will be changed to allow them to fund “up to” this limit, with no lower bound, effectively allowing for unlimited cuts to fire services.
United Firefighters Union Secretary Peter Marshall said the government should abandon the plan to cut fire services and gouge Victorian households.
“This is an unprincipled, cynical cash grab,” Mr Mashall said.
“Victorian voters, homeowners, business and landholders should not be expected to pay for the Allan Government’s financial mismanagement.”
“They should not be expected to pay for it with a levy and they should not be expected to pay for it with their safety.
“The Allan Government must adhere to the recommendations of the Black Saturday Report and maintain the Fire Services Levy as a dedicated mechanism that guarantees minimum funding for fire protection for the people of this state.
“They should walk away from these reforms or risk walking away from the prospect of governing for another term”
