Wednesday, 18 June 2025

 Kim WELLS (Rowville) (14:47): (1174) My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, in the current cost-of-living crisis impacting many, why did you and your government impose such an unfair and inequitable new emergency services property tax, which on the average Rowville electorate residential home will cost over 45 per cent, or over $100, more per annum for local household budgets compared to the existing fire services levy. My office has recently been contacted by many, many angry and concerned Rowville electorate constituents who say that they cannot afford yet another tax. For example, on an average, median-priced residential property in Rowville or Lysterfield of $1.2 million, the new tax will add an additional cost burden of $107, up from around $236 under the previous fire services property levy to around $344 under the new emergency services tax. People in Rowville just cannot afford Labor.