Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Adjournment

Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund

Sam GROTH (Nepean) (19:00): (1121) My adjournment tonight is for the Treasurer, and the action I seek is for the Treasurer to immediately halt the implementation of the new emergency service and volunteers tax. This is a huge new tax; it is projected to extract more than $50 million from Mornington Peninsula ratepayers next financial year. We will see significant rises of more than 100 per cent on residential property owners, up to 189 per cent on primary producers and 100 per cent on commercial property owners. This tax places an undue burden on our residents, especially our farmers and our small business owners, who are already grappling with the rising cost of living.

The Mornington Peninsula has a mix of residential, agricultural and commercial properties, and it will be disproportionately affected. The significant increases in charges threaten the viability of our local businesses and the livelihoods of our farmers, many of whom also serve as volunteer firefighters. The state government’s approach to funding emergency services through this tax is flawed. It shifts the financial responsibility onto local communities without adequate consultation or consideration of the economic impact. Emergency services are a fundamental responsibility of the state and should be funded accordingly. I urge the Treasurer to stop the implementation of this tax. There must be a fair and equitable funding model developed, one that does not disproportionately affect the residents of my community and other regional areas. Our communities deserve transparency, fairness and a funding model that reflects the shared responsibility of providing essential emergency services.