Thursday, 28 August 2025

 Kim O’KEEFFE (Shepparton) (09:54): This past week the community have started to receive their rates notices, and my office has been inundated with residents shocked at the significant increase of the emergency services tax. In some cases people are paying more for the emergency services tax than the rates themselves, with some experiencing a doubling of their bill, an increase that they simply cannot afford. Farmers have a one-year reprieve, but many are already distressed by the reality of a 150 per cent increase that they will receive in 12 months time. This is a tax grab hitting regional communities the hardest by ripping millions of dollars out of households and communities, with no regard for cost-of-living pressures already impacting on households. Many families are already struggling with rising rates, insurance, fuel and grocery bills. A mother said to me recently she was struggling to pay her children’s sporting fees. We are also seeing people struggling who have not in the past.

I have visited many of our local support services recently, and they are all saying the same thing: that there is a significant increase in the demand for their support. A shout-out to Melanie at South Shepparton community house, who is doing an amazing job with her team, providing food relief and a range of support services. A shout-out also to Deb and her team at GV pregnancy support, who I visited just last week to thank Dawn Tricarico, who is now retiring, for her 15 years of volunteering service. Both of these service providers are calling for more funding due to the increasing demand that they are struggling to meet. We are seeing significant increases in the demand for support services because life just keeps getting harder under the Allan Labor government.